It’s all about choice and Filipino Catholics know that they have that right and will go to great lengths to choose what is good for their health and family.
This is the conclusion drawn up after a survey commissioned by U.S. Spanish language network Univision revealed that some 68 percent of Filipinos support contraception while only 30 percent were against it.
Considered as the solitary bastion of Catholic faith in Asia, Philippines was at the forefront in the battle between liberal-minded health advocates and right-wing conservative religious fanatics. Contraception is just one of the most contentious issues at hand, but it was the only subject where more than half of Filipino Catholic respondents chose a position not aligned with the Roman Catholic Church.
Filipinos may be among the Catholics most loyal to the most fundamental of Church teachings but the survey showed that many take a different position when it comes to contraception. The remaining two percent of Filipino respondents chose not to answer the question on contraceptive methods, which the Church considers anti-life.
The survey came more than a year after the Philippines passed the Reproductive Health Law, which, among others, expands the government’s maternal health program. The law is currently pending with the Supreme Court, but no date was set when its constitutionality will be finally decided.
Meanwhile, a strong majority of Filipino Catholics still stood by the Vatican in all many other issues in the poll, participated in by 12,038 Catholics from 12 countries.
Loyalty to Catholic teachings was highest when it comes to gay marriage within the Church, with 92 percent opposing, 7 percent agreeing and 1 percent neutral.
A strong majority also aligned with Church teachings when it comes to the following issues:
This is the conclusion drawn up after a survey commissioned by U.S. Spanish language network Univision revealed that some 68 percent of Filipinos support contraception while only 30 percent were against it.
Considered as the solitary bastion of Catholic faith in Asia, Philippines was at the forefront in the battle between liberal-minded health advocates and right-wing conservative religious fanatics. Contraception is just one of the most contentious issues at hand, but it was the only subject where more than half of Filipino Catholic respondents chose a position not aligned with the Roman Catholic Church.
Filipinos may be among the Catholics most loyal to the most fundamental of Church teachings but the survey showed that many take a different position when it comes to contraception. The remaining two percent of Filipino respondents chose not to answer the question on contraceptive methods, which the Church considers anti-life.
The survey came more than a year after the Philippines passed the Reproductive Health Law, which, among others, expands the government’s maternal health program. The law is currently pending with the Supreme Court, but no date was set when its constitutionality will be finally decided.
Meanwhile, a strong majority of Filipino Catholics still stood by the Vatican in all many other issues in the poll, participated in by 12,038 Catholics from 12 countries.
Loyalty to Catholic teachings was highest when it comes to gay marriage within the Church, with 92 percent opposing, 7 percent agreeing and 1 percent neutral.
A strong majority also aligned with Church teachings when it comes to the following issues:
- legalizing same-sex marriage (84 percent opposed; 14 percent supportive)
- marriage of priests (76 percent opposed; 21 percent supportive)
- women becoming priests (76 percent opposed; 21 percent supportive)
- abortion (73 totally opposed; 25 percent conditionally opposed; 2 percent totally supportive)