天主教會作為政策否決者：天主教會對菲律賓生殖健康法案之影響

The Catholic Church as a Policy Veto Player: The Impact of the Catholic Church on the Philippines’Reproductive Health Bill

天主教會不但在菲律賓社會與政治領域中擁有舉足輕重的角色，亦在政策制定過程中扮演「政策否決者」（policy veto player）的角色。根據否決者理論，影響天主教會力量的三個因素包括：一、天主教會擁有龐大的信徒基礎，能夠通過組織集結抗議並動員群眾，直接影響公共輿論與政策制定者。二、教會擁有明確的道德立場，其教義偏好可以直接影響立法者的決策。三、教會內部由上而下的階層式領導，確保政策立場的一致性，增強其干預政策制定的有效性。本文藉由「生殖健康法案」的案例研究，發現天主教會善用公開介入與隱晦介入兩種模式影響政策的制定，公開介入包括發表聲明、參與政治活動及為候選人背書；隱晦介入則透過訴諸道德權威、制度近用權、布道與跨組織合作等方式進行。本文系統性地探討了天主教會如何在菲律賓的政策制定中發揮影響力，充分體現其作為政策否決者的角色，並為菲律賓的政教關係研究提供了獨特的見解。

The Catholic Church holds a significant role in Philippine society’s social and political spheres, notably as a powerful veto player in the policy-making process. According to veto player theory, the Catholic Church, with its large base of followers, can directly influence public opinion and policymakers through organized protests and mass mobilization. Due to its clear moral stance, the Church’s doctrinal preferences can profoundly impact policy content, affecting legislators’decisions. Furthermore, the Church’s top-down hierarchical structure ensures consistency in its policy positions, enhancing its effectiveness in policy intervention. This paper uses the“Reproductive Health Bill”as an example to demonstrate the Catholic Church’s successful influence on the legislative process. It is found that the Catholic Church adeptly employs both overt and covert methods to influence policy-making. Overt methods include issuing statements, participating in political activities, and endorsing candidates, while covert methods involve appealing to moral authority, institutional access, preaching, and inter-organizational cooperation. In conclusion, this study systematically explores how the Catholic Church influences Philippine policy-making, highlighting its role as a policy veto player and providing profound insights into the interaction between religion and politics.