If the Catholic bishops can be as passionate in fighting corruption as they are in opposing birth control, this predominantly Roman Catholic country will be a much better place. Think of the impact of an announcement from the Church that it will withhold Holy Communion from all the liars, cheats, thieves, murderers, rapists and the immoderately greedy in this government. Okay, that might decimate the ranks of the national leadership, and reduce the temporal power that the bishops love to wield in this country. But it could endear the bishops to more of the ordinary faithful Catholics who do not make a big show or pretense of piousness to earn brownie points with the Church. Instead the bishops are withholding communion from politicians who are supporting birth control and family planning, branding theme as “anti-life” and supporters of abortion. The Church must be taking pointers in intellectual dishonesty from this administration.

What does the Church condemnation make of the Filipino women, many of whom consider themselves devoted to their faith, which uses artificial contraception methods? Or the many thousands of Filipino women most of whom are surely baptized Catholics, who have terminated unwanted pregnancies through abortion? They will burn in Hell for all eternity. Redemption is only for the liars, cheats, thieves, murderers, rapists and the immoderately greedy in this government and the sexual offenders within the Church itself. The Church, it must be emphasized, has been consistent in its stand on matters such as birth control, sex and the start of life. It toes the Vatican line and tells the government what it thinks on matters such as family planning and divorce.