First of two parts
One positive result of the Reproductive Health Bill for the Catholic Church may be the way the RH controversy has thrust religion, morals and family values into the public mind.

Catholics now have more occasion than just Sunday mass on which to speak with priests, nuns, bishops, and fellow lay people. Indeed, many believers are now rallying around a Church seen as under siege by the ruling administration and international family planning agencies.

There is a downside, though. The Philippine Church could be so consumed by its anti-RH campaign that it neglects the far bigger imperative, especially in this Year of Faith, to bring Jesus Christ back to the center of personal and community life in the Church. This core tenet of rekindling the faith, which is nothing less than each Christian’s and his or her congregation’s intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ, must not be obscured by the efforts, also important, to propagate Church teachings on sexuality and family.

This potential misdirection becomes even more likely due to the highly charged politics of the anti-RH campaign, which may even includes campaigning against pro-RH candidates in the May 2013 elections. Already, nationwide Catholic associations, including the Laiko Organization grouping all laity councils nationwide, have come together to mobilize the so-called Catholic vote.

This two-part column proposes a Philippine Catholic agenda to harness the rare eruption of public interest and fervor in matters religious. Today’s focus is on the social and political action on RH, with the broader agenda for enlivening and renewing the faith to be discussed on Friday, including the imperative not to lose sight of Jesus Christ as the center of every Christian’s life.

On RH, the Church agenda should stand on four pillars. First, there should be an overarching decency, respect and love for all sides in the bruising debate. That was what Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle urged in his homily on the Dec. 10 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of pregnant women and the unborn child.

Second, the Church must demonstrate that natural family planning works for couples who want a prudent number and spacing of births. That means dramatically expanding NFP instruction to offset the coming surge in state-funded contraception programs under the RH measure.

Third, Catholics should support conscientious objectors, especially civil servants refusing to implement immoral RH provisions and needing legal aid to fight sanctions. The Church must also stand with firms facing penalties for not providing contraceptive information and devices as mandated by the law.

Church support is of paramount importance to safeguard not just morals and family values, but the far more crucial freedom of religion and conscience. The same threat is happening in the US with President Barack Obama’s edict penalizing Catholic hospitals for refusing to provide contraception services and advice.

The first step in defense of freedom of conscience should be filing and publicizing a High Court petition to declare RH provisions unconstitutional, especially those promoting abortifacients and penalizing conscientious objectors.

Citizens, companies and other entities must be made aware of these unconstitutional violations to the right to life and the freedom of religion, and the legal remedies and Church support they can avail themselves of if they are sanctioned for their beliefs.

The fourth pillar of political action should target not just RH, but the more destructive and corruptive force again laid bare in the legislative battle: presidential pressures and inducements to muster congressional votes (see Monday column). If this immoral and unconstitutional meddling continues, it can be used for other objectionable measures, including legalizing divorce, jueteng, same-sex marriage, euthanasia and prostitution.

In mobilizing Catholics for the polls, there are three concerns. First, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) should be especially vigilant against a repeat of alleged computerized fraud exploiting the lack of security and validation measures in automated elections (see Nov. 12 column). To assure all parties that PPCRV will be neutral, however, the CBCP needs to sternly remind Catholics that all election fraud is sinful, even if done against pro-RH candidates.

Second, extreme care is needed in the campaign against pro-RH candidates. Among tough issues: Should Catholics vote for corrupt politicians who opposed RH? Should the campaign target only weak RH supporters, not those too strong to beat? And what about legislators who voted yes, abstained or went missing in the final readings, to get funds for their constituents? Should they be punished for thinking of the needy?

Which brings up the third issue: Since supporting or opposing candidates is hugely problematic, why not mobilize Filipino Catholics instead to propose and approve a constitutional amendment ending the President’s abuse of budget releases to pressure lawmakers? Such a provision would release congressional development funds in a set schedule through the year unless Congress approves deferral.

This amendment may be proposed by people’s initiative backed by 12 percent of all registered voters, including at least 3 percent in each congressional district—well within what Filipino Catholics making up 85 percent of the population can muster. The motion would also win support from countless legislators unhappy with Palace meddling.

If Catholics move fast, the amendment can be proposed by March and included in the May elections. Then lawmakers can vote with no pork barrel-brandishing devils silencing God’s word in their consciences.

Ricardo Saludo serves Bahay ng Diyos Foundation for church repair. He heads the Center for Strategy, Enterprise & Intelligence, publisher of The CenSEI Report on national and global issues (censeisolutions.com” This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).