Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Pedro de Macorís (Agenzia Fides) - Hundreds took part in a Pro Life March on 30 November in Marcia organised by the local Catholic Church and supported by many different Christian organisations. The March moved from St Peter's Cathedral to the municipal Santa Fe cemetery for the inauguration of a monument in memory of unborn children. The ceremony was performed by Bishop Franciso Ozoria in the presence of numerous priests, religious, deacons, as well as doctors, political leaders and businessmen.
Bishop Ozoriaha appealed to doctors, legislators, media operators, artists, professionals, union leaders and mothers to take a stance pro-life and against the de-penalisation of abortion. He urged priests and lay people to demonstrate pro life support in public with the recitation of the Rosary and other initiatives to promote greater awareness of the need to defend life from conception to natural end.
On the occasion of the March the diocesan Family Pastoral Commission presented a document “Respect, defend, serve and love life" in which it affirmed that the diocese of San Pedro de Macorís, united with the universal Church, recognises the natural an inalienable right to life as a precious gift of God. The document says that the solution to the country's problems is not to promote the culture of death with the criminal act of abortion, and the many ensuing psychological, personal, family and social problems. "Good and upright legislators - the document says - know they do not have absolute power in this matter. Their duty is to defend the permanent values deriving from natural law, reflected in the human conscience and heart by the Law of God. Legislators are called to firmly, honourably and honestly resist pressure from dehumanising external sources and international institutions which claim to justify the culture of death". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 5/12/2007; righe 26, parole 364)
