Manila, Philippines, Sep 5, 2008 / 03:21 am
Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto, a prominent bishop from the Philippines, on Thursday said he is confident the country’s lawmakers will not pass a “reproductive health” bill that recommends a “two-child policy” and funding sterilizations and contraceptive distribution.
The 71-year-old archbishop heads the Archdiocese of San Fernando (Pampanga) and is chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) Commission on Family Life, CBCP News reports.
Speaking in an interview with Catholic-run Veritas 846 Radio, he recounted his meeting with pro-life lawmakers at the Philippines’ House of Representatives, where he concelebrated a Mass.
“We asked for God’s blessing and graces that lawmakers be able to discern, pray and listen to their constituents, for them to respect the rights and dignity of their constituents, the majority of whom are Catholics,” the archbishop said, adding he believes that lawmakers will continue to believe in the moral law.