September 21, 2005

Dear concerned citizen,

The Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) greatly need your
assistance to send the pastoral letter below of Archbishop Fernando Capalla,
president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, to your
parishes, schools, organizations, and communities. ECFL wishes that the
letter be read in all Catholic churches and communities in the country
especially this Sunday, to close the Family Week celebration.

Now that the impeachment issue is over, we must relive our vigilance
against bills on divorce, same-*** marriage, and the draconian population
control-reproductive health House Bill 3773 set for plenary voting. We must
again coordinate our efforts lest the proponents rig and pass the bills and
lest they attempt to remove pro-family statutes in our Constitution if the
proposed Constitutional Assembly shall pursue.

Our national crisis has made us realize that our problem is not
overpopulation but indeed corruption and misgovernance. Your help means a
lot to the future of families, our families, and the future of discourse on
the real cause of poverty.

The harvest is many but the laborers are few. Thank you very much for
helping us kinder and pass the light.


"KARANGALAN NG BAYAN, PAMILYA ANG PAGMUMULAN"
A Pastoral Letter on the National Celebration of Family Week on September 19 - 25, 200

BELOVED PEOPLE OF GOD:

The Church joins the nation in its celebration of Family Week on September
19 - 25, 2005 to call on all families to reflect on the theme "KARANGALAN NG
BAYAN, PAMILYA ANG PAGMUMULAN".

Aware that the well-being of Philippine society and the nation are
intimately tied to the good of the family, the Church invites all Catholics
to take to heart the plan of God for marriage and the family as the only way
to achieve genuine human and Christian development as well as national
development.

The Filipino Family is the only hope for the nation today. The family has
been designed and structured by God Himself. The Christian Family is the
domestic Church in which the life of grace flows.

As events move many of us to reflect on the fate of our country which is
now beset by so many crises, it is time to ask ourselves, "What is the Lord
trying to tell us?" or "Is this the Will of the Lord for our families and
for our nation?"

During FAMILY WEEK let us recall the Psalmist words: If the Lord does not
build the house, in vain do its builders labor. With Pope Benedict XVI, we
believe that indeed, a sound society is born from the commitment of all its
members, but it needs the blessing and support of that God who,
unfortunately, is too often excluded or ignored. (Pope Benedict XVI)

What happens most of the time is that we have become so independent that
we do not realize that we have our own limitations and that we need to
depend on God's grace. Yet with the Lord, everything is possible. We
recognize the importance of our human efforts but without the blessings of
God, human endeavor is inadequate and sadly often misdirected. Ora et
Labora, St Benedict admonishes us.

Dear families, let us bring back prayer into our homes. Parents as the
first teachers are reminded that they have to answer to God for any
negligence as parents. Parents must bring back Christian values in rearing
children and in building their homes.

The Filipino family, the basic unit of society, can change the course of
this nation only if it is rooted in deep prayer before it goes to proclaim
the Good News to everyone. Prayer and Work go hand in hand.

Last February 15th, a committee in Congress approved HB3773, a bill on
population control, "reproductive health", sexual rights for young people,
and mandatory child *** education, among others now scheduled for voting in
the Plenary Session in Congress. The measure imposes fines and imprisonment
for parents, spouses, and health professionals who impede "sexual and
reproductive rights." It creates a program for fertility control by
encouraging the limitation of family size to two children. It gives
incentives to 2-child families. Women-married or single-will be taught "all
methods and techniques to prevent pregnancy." The sponsors have called the
proposal "responsible parenthood" and "population management."

Families be alert to legislative initiatives such as HB3773 which will
destroy the family, and the nation, in the long run! The Family and the
nation will not be blessed by such initiatives.

For we know by our Faith what is authentic "responsible parenthood": It
means respect for one's generative functions. It calls upon married persons
to use discernment and generosity in their decisions. It calls for due
regard to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions in
deciding "to raise a numerous family." It includes the spouses' decision
"based on grave motives and with due respect for the moral law, to avoid for
the time being or even for an indeterminate period, a new birth."
Responsible parenthood makes parents "free and responsible collaborators of
God the Creator."(Humanae Vitae)

As we join the nation in celebrating Family Week, let us review the
family's mission and the four general tasks for the family:

1) forming a community of persons;
2) serving life;
3) participating in the development of society;
4) sharing in the life and mission of the Church.

The educational role of the Christian family therefore is very important.
In this sense, the renewal of the Catholic school must give special
attention both to the parents of the pupils and to the formation of a
perfect educating community. The right of parents to choose an education in
conformity with their religious faith must be absolutely guaranteed.

The State and the Church have the obligation to give families all possible
aid to enable them to perform their educational role properly. Therefore
both the Church and the State must create and foster the institutions and
activities that families justly demand, and the aid must be in proportion to
the families' needs. However, those in society who are in charge of schools
must never forget that the parents have been appointed by God Himself as the
first and principal educators of their children and that their right is
completely inalienable. (Familiaris Consortio)

The family is the foundation of society and the nation. It is from the
family that citizens come to birth and it is within the family that they
find the first school of the social virtues that can guarantee a better
future for this country and development of society itself.

Let our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Family, be our
loving Advocate in these challenging times. Entrust to her our families.
Let us pray for the graces which the Lord promised to those who invoke her
in this Eucharistic and Marian Year.


For the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
(Sgd.) + FERNANDO R. CAPALLA, D.D.
Archbishop of Davao
President, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
September 18, 2005