Celebrating 40 years of Humanae Vitae
|
|
Forty years ago, on July 25 1968, Pope Paul VI issued the Humanae Vitae Encyclical in defense of the family and the sanctity of human life against the expectations of the secular world. His words have proven prophetic. Since then, the Church has waged a continuous battle against the population control movement’s agenda to pursue universal access to contraceptives and abortion. Today, this agenda has insidiously infiltrated the halls of the Philippine Congress in the guise of poverty alleviation, reproductive health, and women’s rights. It is in this light that this year, the anniversary celebration of Humanae Vitae took on added significance.
|
At Pro-Life Philippines, July 9 and 25 were red-letter days as its officers and staff joined the Catholic community in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life) by way of a Mass at the Manila Cathedral and a Prayer Rally at the UST Parade Ground, respectively. The twin-event was co-organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines- Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (CBCP-ECFL) and the Archdiocese of Manila, and actively supported in the central organizing committee by representatives from various church-based organizations and other non-profit foundations and NGOs, Pro-Life Philippines among them.
At the Mass on July 9, a prelude to the actual anniversary celebration, CBCP President Archbishop Angel Lagdameo expounded on the controversial but prophetic nature of the Encyclical while Edward Joseph Adams reminded the faithful that human life comes from the true God, belongs to Him, goes back to Him.
(See full text of Archbishop Lagdameo’s homily ).
Highlighting the anniversary celebration was the prayer rally at the UST Parade Ground on July 25. Dubbed “Biyaya Ng Buhay, Biyaya ng Pamilya,” it served as a vehicle to reaffirm the Catholic’s firm belief in the inviolable truth of the responsible transmission of life within the family, and show its militant stand against the Consolidated Reproductive Health Bill pending in the House of Congress.
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, and CBCP-ECFL Chairman Archbishop Paciano Aniceto led the massive gathering of church and lay people in a concelebrated Mass, exhorting the faithful to remain steadfast in the defense of family and life. Pro-life State officials lent their support with their presence, including DENR Secretary Lito Atienza, Senator Aquilino Pimentel and Former Senator Kit Tatad, Congressmen Roilo Golez, Rene Velarde, Eduardo Zialcita, and William Tieng, Congresswoman Teresa Bonoan-David, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, and Olongapo Councilor JC de los Reyes, most of whose invitation was coordinated by Pro-Life Executive Director Marita Wasan.
Preceding the Mass was a festive program of singing, dancing, and experts’ testimonials on the message of the Humanae Vitae and the Pro-life advocacy being waged in Congress. Amidst the lively activities, Pro-Life staff and volunteers zealously conducted a signature campaign in defense of life and distributed flyers on its pregnancy counseling services.
We at Pro-Life would like to believe that for all of us, the prayer rally was not a culminating activity in this year’s celebration of Humanae Vitae but another springboard towards the achievement of our vision of a country dedicated to the promotion of respect and care for human life, from conception to natural death.
|
|
