Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Montevideo (Agenzia Fides) - Catholics in Uruguay have mobilised rapidly to prevent the legalisation of abortion in their country. Four days early than expected Parliament announced that on 16 October the plenary assembly of the senate voted the legalisation of abortion. The proposed "Bill to defend the right to sexual and reproductive health " has 21 articles in five chapters. The last four chapters with articles 9- 21 treat the legalisation of abortion. Article 9 legalises abortion during the first 3 months of pregnancy and article 1 extends this period when there is serious danger for the life and health of the mother. Exposing the motives the authors of the bill define the term "health" as "a general state of physical, mental and social well being not only absence of illness": this means the judiciary could extend abortion to later than three months. Article 14 states that when parents w refuse to allow an abortion, the 'young woman or girl' can appeal to the Family Judge for permission, and have an abortion against the parent's will.
To counter this situation Catholics have launched a “Campaign for the right to be born in Uruguay” calling on people of good will to write letters of protest to the senators underlining the consequences of the proposed law.
The John Paul II Institute of Bio-Ethics sent a letter to the senators explaining the "reasons for which we consider it wrong to approve the law which would cost the lives of innocent Uruguayan babies and damage the wellbeing of the family and the whole of society". The letter also expresses concern about the possibility "the rights of parental authority would be abolished if the law is approved ” since minors would appeal to the judgement and decision of strangers on such a sensitive issue as sexuality, without the parents being able to intervene. The letter also says that solidarity with the mother involved should not be an encouragement to have an abortion but to offer her support to bring her child into the world.
During the first vote 16 October the legislators approved "on the whole" the proposed "Bill to defend the right to sexual and reproductive health" but they excluded the chapter on the question of the interruption of pregnancy. The legislators voted 15 for and 15 against and so the quorum necessary to include the chapter was not reached. The Bill will now pass to the other House and if they approve this chapter, which allows women to have abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy because they want it, the bill will return to the senate for another vote. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 18/10/2007; righe 33, parole 480)
