What Filipino bishops are busy doing

Read the article below and notice what Filipino bishops are busy doing

Church vs entry of GMO products into Negros

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental—The Diocese of Bacolod is opposing the entry of genetically modified (GMO) products into Negros Island, Bishop Vicente Navarra said Sunday.

In a statement, Navarra urged the provincial and city governments to implement “without fear or favor” Provincial Ordinance 007 and City Ordinance 485 that ban the entry of GMO products.

Negros Occidental and Bacolod officials should preserve the reputation of Negros as the organic food bowl of the Philippines, he said. “Do not succumb to the pressures exerted by business interest groups.”

The bishop said the hog raisers and poultry associations in the province should explore other alternatives to meet their requirements without jeopardizing the environment and the health of the people.

He also called on the people not to be carried away by the “demands and vested interest of profit-hungry groups” and instead, come up with the best method of preserving and maintaining life as originally intended by God.

Navarra also said the high inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy mechanization required by GMO crops has devastating environmental effects.

Since the GMO crops are wind-pollinated, small quantities of pollens travel to as far as 0.8 kilometers under suitable conditions and will likely contaminate non-GMO crops, he said, quoting a Greenpeace Southeast Asia report. [Even if they get contaminated, will it be dangerous to human health?]

Navarra said this could result in the destruction of the natural traits of the native crops which would ultimately lead to the destruction of the area’s biodiversity. [Have they ever heard of conventional breeding to produce hybrid crops? Helloooo!]

On claims that the GMO products were safe for human consumption, the bishop said that experiments done on rats fed with GMO tomatoes showed that they developed stomach lesions or died after two weeks on this diet. [Bishop, pigs are fed with GMO corn and we eat the pork. Any problems so far? Cancer? Maybe we are eating too much pork? Too much of anything is bad also. So it's not entirely because of GMO.]

Navarra also debunked the claim that GMO would help address world hunger and poverty.

Although GMO products have been in existence for more than two decades, statistics showed that world hunger has not abated, he said.

The good bishop does not have any idea that GMOs are already in the Philippines (e.g. Bt Corn). This is the base ingredient for animal feeds. And Filipinos are mostly meat lovers. I should know I work for a vegetable company! Maybe the bishop should focus on fostering and defending the Faith and in working for the renewal of the Church through the faithful celebration of the liturgy according to the liturgical books. Say the Black, Do the Red as Fr. Z would always say. Nowadays, you find more priests and bishops minding other people's business. No problem with that as long as you do first what is expected of you to do. Be a good priest and bishop first by doing what is expected of an ordained minister. We have a priest here in Manila who spends much of his time in picket lines and in jogging all over the place as a form of protest for issues like graft and corruption and Constituional Change. No problem with that, Father. BUT! He forgot his duties as a parish priest. He rarely celebrates Mass or offer the sacraments. It was always the guest priests who do it for him. Where did he end up? He was asked by his bishop to take a sabbatical and to rethink his vocation. After his sabbatical, he came back...protesting in Congress for the same issues, again! Do you need priestly ordination to stand in picket lines? Or are you really confused to your role as a priest? Lost of Identity as Catholics and Lost of Vocation Identity. That's what's wrong! Stay in the altar and confessional!!!