Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lima (Agenzia Fides) – During the homily of the Te Deum Mass (in thanksgiving) for the 187th anniversary of Peru’s Independence, the Archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani encouraged the authorities of the country to reflect on the evident good that comes from homes where peace and harmony reign, benefiting human life, marriage, and the family, which are fundamental parts of Peru’s society.
According to the Prelate, “there are more and more groups with ideological beliefs who are making a great effort in placing pressures to legalize abortion in Latin American countries, ours included. These minority groups, through their use of the media and million-dollar campaigns, they try to intimidate the common citizen, calling for the legalization of new forms of abortion, calling it “reproductive health” and using other terms that lead to confusion. Nothing could be farther from the truth.”
Thus, he states that the Church is defending the human person today more than ever, “because it is worriedly observing many tendencies to detract from the inviolable value of human life, or disassociate it from its natural environment, as is the case with human love in marriage and the family.” He also mentioned that the right to life, “is a right that can be recognized by all people, because it is a fundamental right for all human beings.”
The Cardinal also noted that recently “many groups who supposedly come from the ‘first world’ countries, wish to use the benefits of globalization to impose a belief, affirming that everything that counts in life is power, wealth, and influence in the world of politics, the economy, and social communications.” This vision, the Cardinal points out, is the fruit of a pragmatic materialism, “that dehumanizes and despises the condition and dignity of human relations...” and it is one that should be stood up against. With that, he indicated the importance of education so as to form a better society where Christian ethical and moral values reign. “Education,” he said, “begins in the family, where parents are the primary educators and should find complete support in the school. We cannot turn a blind eye to the classrooms, because it is there that the youth are formed in an organic and systematic form, for a considerable number of years.” He also addressed the authorities, asking that they promote educational reform in conjunction with parents, a reform “that focuses primarily on the formation of persons with Christian values.”
He also reminded the media of its responsibility in our day, especially in educating the children and youth, and in “forming a coherent moral fabric that would be a spiritual support in the material development we are witnessing,” and thus, promoting moral values.
Concelebrating along with Cardinal Cipriani were the Auxiliary Bishop of Lima, His Excellency Adriano Tomasi, the Military Bishop Salvador Piñeiro; the President of the Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Miguel Cabrejos; Bishop Miguel Irizar of Callao; and the priests of the Cathedral of Lima. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 30/7/2008)
