Population crisis

In today’s Gospel teaching, Jesus sends us, his disciples, to be faithful and prudent stewards of His people (Lk. 12: 32-48). Steward means caretaker, tagapag-alaga. What a timely message to our Church leaders at the height of our over-population crisis — to actively work for the morally effective means of family planning and responsible parenthood.

And what are these morally effective means? Since at least seventy percent of our people are Catholic, let us focus on the morally effective means of birth regulation within the Catholic Church.

There are two moral positions within the same Church, as far as responsible parenthood is concerned. The official Papal position, and the non-official, responsible dissenting position of quite a number of moral theologians, bishops, clerics, and laity. Why is there room for a responsible, dissenting position? Because the official position, though normative, is not an infallible doctrine. It is not a dogma. The Second Vatican Council teaches us that the final arbiter of moral decision is one’s informed and responsible conscience. (Declaration on Religious Freedom, #3).

Let us briefly reflect on each one of these moral positions.

The official position, as stated in the encyclical, Humanae Vitae, says that the one and only method of birth-regulation allowed is Natural Family Planning (NFP). This position is based on natural law — that the very act of intercourse is biologically procreative, and should not be interfered with. Pro-life. To prevent conception for a morally valid reason, like responsible parenthood, is to be done by abstaining from the sexual act, or by doing it during infertile periods of the wife’s menstrual cycle. Thus, this moral position is act-oriented.

This method, as the only one supported by the official Church for the last how many decades, has not worked effectively in our country, as far as control of population is concerned. Just to single out one reason, among others: For so many poor, uneducated couples, learning NFP as the only means of family planning is too difficult, cumbersome, and needs much discipline and spirituality. Many are not able to make it. The poor are already deprived of so many things, and to deprive them of love-making when they spontaneously feel like doing so is to make their lives even more miserable.

The non-official, responsible dissenting position, on the other hand is person-oriented. It likewise invokes the law of nature, but nature-humanized. Aside from NFP, other means of family planning may be used, provided they are not abortive, and responsibly used for a morally valid reason. Examples of this are the use of the condom or the taking of contraceptive pills. This moral position is also pro-life, in the sense of pro-quality-life. Each life brought into this world deserves to be raised in a dignified, human way that the parents are capable of, according to God’s design, and not left to a "bahala-na" attitude.

This responsible, dissenting position is advocated by eminent theologians, like the late Karl Rahner, Bernard Haring, and others.

We are currently facing a very serious situation of over-population. Our percentage of annual population growth is one of the highest in the world. Coupled with our poverty crisis, which our President is doing her best to solve in due time, our over-population problem is a crucial, national emergency situation that needs the active cooperation of all.

To be faithful and prudent stewards of the Lord, as Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel reading, let us all be actively involved in promoting responsible parenthood, using both the official and non-official moral means of family planning.

Whatever is for the ultimate good of our people and our country is clearly the will of our all-loving and compassionate God.