Be good stewards of health, CBCP urges Pinoys in Easter message  

With the Christian world celebrating the triumph of Christ over death, Philippine Catholic bishops on Sunday urged Filipinos to be good stewards of health.

In its Easter pastoral instruction, the CBCP said taking care of this body is not always an exercise of vanity but is a spiritual duty as good stewards of health.

"As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, let us also renew our faith in the resurrection of the body. This body as we have it is a gift from God. This body as we have it will be resurrected and will be changed," CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said.

But Villegas also took a dig at the Reproductive Health law, whose constitutionality the Supreme Court upheld last April 8.

He said the present law, which the Catholic Church had opposed due to its provisions allowing artificial contraceptives, "seems to misunderstand" the Christian understanding of health.

"While we respect and recognize the duty and right of the State to pass laws, we deem it our duty as pastors to teach you about the Christian understanding of health which the present RH law seems to misunderstand," he said.

"Like the good steward in Scripture, may we also be responsible stewards of the gift of health that God has granted us as we make our earthly pilgrimage to our heavenly home, where the fullness of life awaits us," he added.

Stewardship of life, physical health

Villegas said life and physical health are "precious gifts entrusted to us by God" and thus must be treated with reasonable care, while "taking into account the needs of others and the common good.”

"Taking care of one’s health is not a selfish activity but rather it is a necessary and important task related to the building of God’s Kingdom. A person with good health will have more time and energy to participate in the life of the Spirit and the saving mission of Christ," he said.

He promoted the following values for Christians to be responsible stewards of bodily health:

- A virtuous life practicing the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude.

- Living in moderation as far as food and drink are concerned. Being responsible with one’s diet is one way of being a good steward of one’s health. The virtue of temperance can help deal with appetites for certain types of food and drink that can harm health.

- Exercise, which allows us to control our weight and reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases.

- Rest, meaning everyone should take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. On the other hand, employers, despite economic constraints, should make sure that employees have adequate time for rest.

- Avoiding harmful substances and activities, such as the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine.

 Unhealthy perspectives on the human body, such as a "neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for its sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports." "Examples of such harmful manipulation of bodies include excessive use of cosmetic surgery, unhealthy forms of dieting, and the use of banned substances in sports," Villegas said.

Love and life

Meanwhile, Villegas pushed for love and life as priorities over health.

"We live healthy lives because we are willing to nurture and to care for the gift of life. And we are willing to care for others in love and concern for them. We are reminded of this: there may not always be cure in the many illnesses that people face every day, but there must always be care and love for those who are ill among us. And it is love that enables life to grow and even to improve," he said.

He said agents of healthy living include: