CBCP Defends Pope Francis Statement on Zika Virus Issue
Archbishop Socrates Villegas clarifies the statement of Pope Francis on efforts to curtail the spread of the Zika virus.
“The Holy Father was very clear and uncompromising about the evil of abortion,” said Villegas, the incumbent Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, in a statement released on February 20, 2016.
“And we, your bishops, reiterate Church teaching: No matter that the child in the womb may be afflicted with some infirmity or deformity, it can never be moral to bring a deliberate end to human life. It is never for us to judge who should live or die!” he added.
The statement of Villegas, which was posted on his Facebook account and the CBCP news website, was issued after Pope Francis issued statements in a press conference in which he was apprised of the Zika virus and the possibility that pregnant women afflicted by the disease would seek abortion.
The Pontiff also said that the “evil” of contraception is not of the same magnitude as abortion.
“Clearly, this was sound moral reasoning. The evil of stealing a few pesos cannot be compared with the evil of plunder. The Pope was in no way changing church teaching on the unacceptability of artificial means of contraception,” Villegas reiterated.
The Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop explained that Pope Francis was trying to explain moral precepts, which are not new to Catholic teachings but form part of Catholic moral theology and health care ethics.
“There may be circumstances that invite a re-evaluation of the judgment on artificial means of contraception; second, the prodding of conscience should always be heeded, as long as every effort is made to form conscience properly. These positions are not in any way new,” he said. — BAP, GMA News