, Aug 14, 2008 / 03:53 pm (CNA).- The Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Archbishop Paciano Aniceto declared to those in who support the reproductive health bill in Congress:  "If you are Catholic, you should behave like a Catholic. Otherwise you are not what you profess."

He carefully explained that the reproductive health bill promotes artificial contraception, which is against Catholic teachings.  “We are not pre-judging anybody here but this is the stand of the church.”

“We are not condemning anybody here but we are against the bill, not against congressmen as a person. We are all brothers and sisters," the archbishop said.

"We respect our beloved Congressmen and Congresswomen because they are also Catholics. They also have a good objective.”  However, he added, “their approach is only different from the church.”

Archbishop Aniceto also called on President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to prove that she supports the promotion of life by rejecting the bill.

"What we want to hear from our beloved President is the total rejection of the reproductive health bill and should make a definite statement about it," the prelate concluded.

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