AFRICA/CAMEROON - Over 20,000 people join in a march against abortion promoted by Cardinal Tumi

Douala (Agenzia Fides) – Over 20,000 people have taken part in the march against the legalization of abortion, led by Cardinal Christian Tumi, Archbishop of Douala. The march took place in the southern Cameroon city on July 11, anniversary of the approval of the Protocol of Maputo. The “Protocol of the Letter of Rights of Man and the People Related to the Rights of Women” was in fact adopted by the second Ordinary Session of the African Union in Maputo (Mozambique) on July 11, 2003. The Catholic Church has always expressed its opposition to the paragraph and Article 14 of the Protocol, which establishes the need to protect the reproductive rights of women, authorizing abortion in cases of rape, incest, and when continuing with the pregnancy presents a risk to the physical and mental health of the mother or the life of the mother or the fetus (see Fides 26/1/2006).
The Cameroon Bishops' Conference published a declaration in which it expresses its opposition to the legalization of abortion called for by the Protocol (see Fides 1/7/2009).
The Church's position has been reaffirmed by Coadjutor Bishop Samuel Kleda of Douala, who in the homily during the Mass that marked the close of the march, affirmed: “We are in agreement with this praiseworthy project (of protecting women). Who can remain indifferent to the suffering of a woman? At the same time, we cannot pretend to defend women by proposing that they have an abortion and use contraception, which threatens their dignity and his family nucleus. No reason can be used to justify abortion or infanticide.”
Later on, a delegation formed by Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims presented the Governor with a letter for the President of the Republic and a petition, which has now been signed by nearly 30,000 people. Others are soon to follow, as the appeal of the Catholic Church has been supported by persons of other faiths, including Muslims. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 13/7/2009)