AMERICA/MEXICO - The Bishops of Veracruz: "Lawmakers have an ethical obligation to be well informed and to listen to the cry of those who elected them"

Monday, 26 July 2021 abortion human rights bishops

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Veracruz (Agenzia Fides) - "The Catholic Bishops of the eight dioceses of Veracruz contemplate with dismay the path that some legislators have just taken in favor of the culture of death", they write in their message, significantly entitled "Do you really want the life and good of citizens?". Recalling that the Congress of Veracruz, with 25 votes in favor, 13 against and one abstention, approved the decriminalization of abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, " contravening our state constitution", the Bishops deplore that "the State Congress is at the mercy of trends that seek to impose abortion in our beloved State of Veracruz", and reiterate: "With ideological impositions and death laws like this, instead of taking a burden off a people hard hit by the pandemic, it places itself on their shoulders that hurts them in their deepest being, in their essence, in their identity, in their beliefs and values: in their spirituality". In the message, also sent to Fides, the Bishops denounce the promoters of abortion, who "take refuge in an ideology that denies scientific evidence and despises the reality of human life, using expressions or concepts that manipulate language to hide the real drama implicit in all abortions", in addition the decriminalization of abortion "damages the social fabric in its essence by sending a harmful message to women themselves, to children and to young people".
Then they reiterate that "without respect for the right to life from the beginning, no one would be safe in this world", because tomorrow the ideology and the movement that supports these actions could consider that other people are not worth living, either because of their old age, or because of their religion, their race, or their way of thinking. It is unfortunate that Congress closed its doors and ears to groups that tried to expose certain points of view according to the legal, medical and psychological sciences. "Lawmakers have an ethical obligation to be well informed and to listen to the cry of the people who elected them and to meet their real and urgent needs". The bishops also underline with regret that no attention was paid to the reasons that lead a pregnant mother to consider abortion, and reiterate that this "does not solve any of the problems of pregnant mothers, but continues to expose them to violence and possible new abuses", while the people of Veracruz "deeply believe in life as a true gift from God, appreciate and respect it", aware that in the face of the adversities that many women experience during their pregnancy, "good actions and solid institutions are necessary to protect them, take care of them as well as the baby they carry". Lawmakers of Veracruz rushed to vote and imposed abortion in Veracruz, "instead of addressing real and urgent problems, they despised and jeopardized the gift and right to life of all human beings, especially the most defenseless". The Bishops affirm that they pray together with all the Christian people, with people of other faiths and with men of good will, "so that those who in various ways have promoted abortion, may reconsider", in the fact that "families, teachers , doctors and all those who serve life with dignity will show their contempt and their rejection of this law of death", and will enforce the human right to conscientious objection. "Brothers - they conclude - we urge you to continue to work in favor of life, in favor of the integral well-being of the family of Veracruz, in favor of complete sexual education and in favor of truly full and integral maternal and child health". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 26/7/2021)