EUROPE/SPAIN - “The maturity of the laity is becoming a realty. Their reaction is more than ever urgent and necessary today” said Eduardo Hertfelder, President of the Spanish Institute for Family Policies commenting the large non-vote in Italy’s referendum to relax fertility treatment laws

Madrid (Fides Service) - “The large number of non votes in this referendum in Italy following encouragement and efforts from secular groups and the Catholic Church in Italy meant that the required 50% was not reached and was a proof that this is the hour of the laity. The maturity of the laity is becoming a realty. Now in Italy, in a few days in Spain we see the awaited reaction of the laity. A reaction today more urgent and necessary than ever. This is a necessity and a right” Eduardo Hertfelder, President of the Spanish Institute for Family Policies told Fides commenting a June 12 and 13 referendum in Italy to relax fertility treatment laws which registered an unprecedented high number of abstentions.
Hertfelder said lay Catholics cannot shirk the duty to take part in public life, they must be active in social, economic, juridical and cultural order to obtain recognition of human rights and the dignity of the individual. Life and the family. “We lay people must stop being passive. We have a right and a duty to defend our rights especially when these rights are violated by actions or measures of governments which attack the person, life or the family”. Rev. Eduardo said the good results in Italy can be obtained also in other countries with a mobilisation of believers. For example in Spain where there will be a demonstration in Madrid on Saturday 18 June to protest against the proposed law to equal same sex unions with marriage. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 13/6/2005, righe 19, parole 292)