The Pro-Life Stance

(Ligaya ko nang ako’y isilang, pagkat tao ay mayroong dangal)
(my happiness for a chance to be born, life is worth living)

We keep on wondering what’s behind the pro-life stance and why. First of all, that has been the stand of the Church, ever since, especially after the Encyclical of Pope Paul VI Humanae Vitae (1968). To save and protect life, not only the actual existing life, but also to protect those lives about-to-be born that are the natural consequence of the union of human male and female persons. We are thereby safeguarding the first right of man which is human life. When you prevent the normal consequence of human births as natural result of sexual union, for example by the contraceptive devices, you are acting contrary to God’s decrees and designs. The Lord who decreed “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it” (Gen. 1:28), has promised to care for us, if we only trust in His Providence. His infallible word attests to that. He would rather, that through industry and honest work, we strive to educate and develop ourselves to become productive citizens, so there be sufficient food and sources of livelihood, instead of worrying too much on the control of births by contraceptives. The end result would be the dearth of young workers or professionals and the growth of the aging population. More old people, less young people.

“That is why I tell you not to be worried about food and drink for yourself, or about clothes for your body. Is not life more important than food and is not the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest and do not store food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than birds? Can any of you add a day to your life by worrying about it? Why are you so worried about your clothes? Look at the flowers in the fields how they grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his wealth was clothed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass in the field which blooms today and is to be burned tomorrow in an oven, how much more will he clothe you? What little faith you have! Do not worry and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? Or: what shall we wear? The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart first on the kingdom and justice of God and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (M6. 6:25-34).