Filipino Bishops Show Admirable Leadership

How many of our so-called "Catholic" universities actively undermining the faith? And how many times have you heard the USCCB call them out on it, let alone remind the schools that a crozier is a big stick for a reason?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

From GMA News, with my emphases and comments:

CBCP warns Catholic schools against pro-RH teaching 

August 19, 2012 1:16pm

Catholic schools that do not toe the line on the reproductive health (RH) bill may be stripped of their affiliation with the Church, the head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines warned over the weekend.

CBCP president and Cebu archbishop Jose Palma said such a sanction awaits Catholic schools and institutions that violate the Church's ethical and religious directives.

 “If we are a Catholic school, we should not teach anything contrary to the official teaching of the church,” Palma said in an article posted Saturday night on the CBCP news site. [What is the world coming to when a Catholic Archbishop in the Philippines has to make such a statement?"

His warning came after some 160 professors of the Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) expressed their support for the passage of the RH bill. [And I bet they think they're so brave and modern and smart for fighting the power so people in the Philippines can embrace the culture of death. I'd be curious as to how many of these professors can tell me what Scripture says about the wisdom of the world.]

The Catholic Church is vocal against the RH bill for its provisions allowing artificial contraception. The Church advocates natural family planning.

"We have no comment," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government-run dzRB radio Sunday regarding the matter.

President Benigno Aquino III had risked crossing paths with the Catholic Church after his policy on responsible parenthood allows the use of artificial contraceptives. ['Responsible parenthood'? I'm tempted to quote Inigo Montoya on this one, but I'll let the temptation pass. How long, O Lord, until people realize that responsible parenthood starts with responsible sex, and that responsible sex isn't about artificial hormones or latex or injections or sterilizations?]

The CBCP quoted Palma as saying there is a clash of beliefs between the Church and some teachers in some Catholic schools. [The easy solution is to invite these false prophets to take up another line of work, one that does not involve poisoning impressionable young minds.]

[Read the rest at GMA News]

I fear the good bishops in the Philippines are going to lose the fight, but I'm so very grateful for their leadership and willingness to remind Catholic schools that their most important quality is their fidelity to the Catholic faith.

St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.