Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) - Hundreds of Catholics braved the pouring rain to take part in a Pro-Life March organised by the Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic as part of Church Campaign against the proposal to de-penalise abortion (see Fides 25/10/2007). The participants, from about 204 parishes and more than 100 schools, led by Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez, Archbishop of Santo Domingo and auxiliary Bishop Pablo Cedano, walked through the city centre to the National Congress where the Cardinal presided Mass. Many of those present were children, adolescents and young people. Bishop Cedano urged the faithful to reject abortion.
During the Mass Cardinal López Rodríguez said that only respect for life can found and guarantee the most precious and necessary values of society, democracy and peace. Faced with the situation in the country the Cardinal said "the sons and daughters of the Catholic Church and their brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations, are aware of their duty to speak out, to say that our country, like other countries in Latin America, loves life and is ready to defend it from any attempt to violate or suppress it, because we consider life sacred and inviolable". Cardinal López Rodríguez continued: "every child born into the world has a path traced by the Lord and no one, not even the mother, can thwart this divine call… God alone is the Lord of life. No one may violate life".
There was also massive participation at a demonstration in front of the National Congress convoked for Thursday 25 October: participants included hundreds of pupils and students from schools all over the capital and the province, accompanied by teachers and religious, and also members of other Christian denominations. People began to gather at 8am with banners and slogans against Abortion. At the end of the demonstration Fr Luis Rosario, national youth pastoral coordinator, handed a statement to Congress reminding legislators that abortion is always a crime even when it is masked. The statement stresses that abortion is not a sign of progress, development or modernity, on the contrary it is retrocession for humanity: " for the Dominican Republic to refuse to de-penalise abortion is not a dishonour, on the contrary it is a motive of pride and dignity".
In an address to the whole country on radio and television, the Cardinal said "we are ready to defend life on any field and under any circumstances, as we are commanded by God, the author of life, and by the Church". He thanked and encouraged the many Dominicans who are fighting abortion: "We proclaim to the people that we are defenders of life and we call on all Dominicans to do the same". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 30/10/2007; righe 35, parole 503)
