KENYA: Conference Opposes the Global Contraceptives Programme
The Catholic Bishops of Kenya have strongly reacted to an article appearing on the Daily Nation newspaper of Friday July 13 2012 titled Kenya Joins Global Birth Control Push.
According to the newspaper, Kenya is among countries that have signed up to a new Sh356 billion global drive to promote family planning services targeting women and girls in poor countries.
In a statement signed by the chairman of the Kenya Episcopal conference His eminence John Cardinal Njue the bishops have termed the use of “contraceptives, especially as radically proposed in the article as both dehumanizing and goes against the teaching of the church especially in a country like Kenya where a majority of the people are Christians and God fearing. It already threatens the moral fabric of the society and is an insult to the dignity and integrity of the human person.”
According to the daily, Kenya’s planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya was among more than 150 leaders from donor and developing countries, international agencies, civil society, foundations and the private sector who attended a summit in London July, 11 2012, the World Population Day, on family planning. The summit has pledged funds to ensure 120 million women and girls in poor countries access contraceptives by 2020.
The bishops’ statement has termed this as “unimaginable, dangerous and could lead to destruction of the human society and by extension the human race,”
The bishops noted that the same foreign forces that are calling for the programme are dedicating billions of shillings promoting same sex unions while millions of women across are dying due to lack of proper maternal care facilities.
The bishops have reminded the Government of Kenya that many countries, which took such decisions, are now regretting with declining populations and nobody to consume or enjoy the much hyped development.
The bishops stated that any development must be for the common good of people, as their security and protection.”It is not clear why such a large amount of money (Ksh 356 billion) is being used for contraceptives while many women are dying daily due to lack of proper medical care, food and housing” said the statement.
The bishops noted that if such money or a portion of it was used to develop the under-developed parts of Kenya, the so-called threatening population of 64 million people in the year 2040 would be too low.
At a time when our people are greatly affected by HIV/ AIDS and preventable road carnage, we cannot go further to condone efforts at reduction of life.
The bishops appealed to all Kenyans to reject this plan and to join forces in the liberation of women following the example of following the example of Christ’s own esteem for them. Nobody should be forced to abuse his/her dignity through contraceptives.
The said summit on family planning was co-hosted by the British Government’s Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The summit underscored the importance of access to contraceptives as both a right and a transformational health and development priority, calling it a “breakthrough for the world’s poorest girls and women, which will transform lives, now and for generations to come.”
SOURCE: CISA News
