Palace dismayed with bishops
abs-cbnNEWS.com
22 February 2011
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said on Monday said the Office of the President should not be blamed over the row.
He said Malacañang remains open to holding talks anew with the bishops.
He said the executive department will continue to live up to its duty and stand of the President Benigno Aquino III on responsible parenthood.
"While we respect Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar's decision, it is unfortunate that he chose to suspend the dialogue with the Executive Department, though no fault on our part, and notwithstanding the fruitful discussions of the past two sessions. Having said that however, we have a responsibility to our people and we will fulfill that mandate consistent with the 5-point position regarding Responsible Parenthood," Lacierda said in a text message to ABS-CBN News.
Palace officials and Catholic bishops were set to hold new talks at the end of the month.
"We will take the word of [the] bishops as it is written. It's an indefinite suspension of the talks with the executive department. But it is unfortunate that they have chosen to temporarily suspend the dialogue. However, we have the mandate to fulfill. We have received inputs from them. We hope at a certain point, we're still open to a dialogue with them but we have to take into consideration our responsibility to the state,” Lacierda said.
“We regret the decision taken by Bishop Odchimar but we respect it,” he added.
"It's very clear that our position is to provide access to both natural and artificial planning methods. Unfortunately, they decided to choose to walk away from the dialogue through no fault of the executive branch. The reason they cited is the speed in the legislative process in the Lower House and the Senate. This is the reason. It's not even the fault of the executive branch. They chose to walk away from the dialogue due to what's happening in a separate branch. That's their decision. We have a responsibility to the state and the people." - Report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
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CBCP suspends RH Bill talks with Palace
abs-cbnNEWS.com
21 February 2011
In a letter to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III dated February 19, CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar said: “In view, however, of the pastoral letter that the Catholic Bishops issued on the matter last January 31, and considering the speed in the ongoing legislative processes both in the Lower House and the Senate, I deem it prudent to suspend in the meantime further talks with
the Executive Department.”
Odchimar is referring to a pastoral letter entitled “Choosing Life, Rejecting the RH Bill,” where the CBCP asked Catholics to denounce the bill since it is a form of “moral corruption.”
Despite this, a consolidated version of the RH bill has been passed for discussion at the House plenary.
Aside from the hasty processing of the bill in Congress, Odchimar also cited the “ongoing visitatio ad limina apostolorum of the Philippine bishops with the Holy Father, according to the schedule set by the Holy See.”
He said the next regular meeting of the CBCP’s Permanent Council will be on the last week of March. There, the council will have “the opportunity of addressing these developments,” he added.
He also call called on Aquino to “pray for the Lord’s guidance as we strive to promote the temporal and spiritual welfare of our citizens.”
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CBCP to suspend talk with Palace on RH bill
Evelyn Macairan
The Philippine Star
22 February 2011
MANILA, Philippines
Bishop Nereo Odchimar, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, wrote a letter to President Aquino yesterday informing him of their decision.
“In view, however, of the pastoral letter that the Catholic Bishops issued on the matter last Jan. 31, and considering the speed in the ongoing legislative processes both in the Lower House and in Senate, I deem it prudent to suspend in the meantime further talks with the Executive Department,” read the letter.
Odchimar said the decision to put the dialogue on hold was also based on the ad limina apostolorum of the Filipino bishops to the Vatican
“Moreover, the next regular meeting of the CBCP Permanent Council, when we can have the opportunity of addressing these developments, will be on the last week of March,” read the letter.
Representatives from the administration and the CBCP are supposed to meet for a third dialogue sometime this month.
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CBCP suspends dialogues with Palace on RH bill
One week after pulling out of consultations on the Senate version of the reproductive health (RH) bill, Catholic bishops on Monday suspended talks with Malacañang on the issue.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said its president Nereo Odchimar informed President Benigno Aquino III about its stand in a letter issued Saturday.
“In view, however, of the pastoral letter that the Catholic Bishops issued on the matter last January 31, and considering the speed in the ongoing legislative processes both in the Lower House and the Senate, I deem it prudent to suspend in the meantime further talks with the Executive Department," Odchimar said in the letter, according to an article posted on the CBCP news site on Monday.
However, Odchimar thanked Aquino for his immediate response to the bishops’ earlier invitation to hold dialogues on the controversial issue.
He said the suspension of the CBCP’s participation in the dialogue “is primarily due to the ongoing visitatio ad limina apostolorum of the Philippine bishops with the Holy Father, according to the schedule set by the Holy See."
Odchimar said the next regular meeting of the CBCP Permanent Council, which will give bishops a chance to address the developments, will take place on the last week of March.
Meanwhile, Odchimar urged Aquino to “pray for the Lord’s guidance as we strive to promote the temporal and spiritual welfare of our citizens."
The Church has been vocal against the RH bill, which it noted allows artificial contraception. The Church favors only natural family planning.
In January, the CBCP issued a statement on the RH bill, branding it a form of "moral corruption."
Only last week, the CBCP pulled out of consultations for the Senate version of the RH bill.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said its president Nereo Odchimar informed President Benigno Aquino III about its stand in a letter issued Saturday.
“In view, however, of the pastoral letter that the Catholic Bishops issued on the matter last January 31, and considering the speed in the ongoing legislative processes both in the Lower House and the Senate, I deem it prudent to suspend in the meantime further talks with the Executive Department," Odchimar said in the letter, according to an article posted on the CBCP news site on Monday.
However, Odchimar thanked Aquino for his immediate response to the bishops’ earlier invitation to hold dialogues on the controversial issue.
He said the suspension of the CBCP’s participation in the dialogue “is primarily due to the ongoing visitatio ad limina apostolorum of the Philippine bishops with the Holy Father, according to the schedule set by the Holy See."
Odchimar said the next regular meeting of the CBCP Permanent Council, which will give bishops a chance to address the developments, will take place on the last week of March.
Meanwhile, Odchimar urged Aquino to “pray for the Lord’s guidance as we strive to promote the temporal and spiritual welfare of our citizens."
The Church has been vocal against the RH bill, which it noted allows artificial contraception. The Church favors only natural family planning.
In January, the CBCP issued a statement on the RH bill, branding it a form of "moral corruption."
Only last week, the CBCP pulled out of consultations for the Senate version of the RH bill.
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