I sympathize with the folk who find Carlos Celdran’s actions offensive and unreasonable. I can see where you’re coming from. But let me suggest, too, that there’s enough unreasonableness to go around, and maybe it didn’t start with Carlos shouting in Manila Cathedral.
All this arguing about RH aside, we’ve quite forgotten that a reasonable accommodation already exists. It is this: allow government health offices to offer both artificial and natural family planning resources; permit anybody, of whatever faith, to choose the family planning resource that they need. The Catholic Church is absolutely free to pressure its believers to make a choice consistent with its dictates – but cannot pressure the government to limit its offerings only to that choice consistent with Church teaching.
But apparently, for the bishops, this accommodation is simply not reasonable enough. And it is only the Church hierarchy and their stalwarts who have rejected this reasonable middle ground.
After decades of the Philippine media and politicians indulging the Catholic bishops’ threats, tantrums, and drama, it’s easy to overlook the accommodation that’s been under our noses all along – and the bishops’ unreasonable refusal to join the rest of us in compromise.
“We’ve tried reasoning with the bishops, and it didn’t work. Now let’s try plan B.” It could be that Carlos was the very first person who came to this conclusion. He certainly won’t be the last.
Originally published as a note on Facebook.
when will be the next rally…. pa join…