Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Fides Service) - The Catholic Bishops of Colombia have expressed deep concern with regard to a decision taken by the Constitutional Court Wednesday 10 May to partially legalise abortion. “The Bishops’ Conference faithful to the Gospel of Life ... laments that the Constitutional Court has not yet taken a firm decision in favour of human life, every life. This sentence will have grave consequences which attack the fundamental cultural, moral e religious values of our nation" the Bishops said in a statement dated May 12 and signed by the president of the Bishops’ Conference Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga of the archdiocese of Tunja. The Constitution Court ruled that abortion will be legal for three cases, danger for the life of the mother confirmed by doctor’s certificate, serious malformation of the foetus and in the case of rape, incest or artificial insemination.
The Bishops say “this ruling will deny many helpless human beings the right to life”, they have opted for “equivocal paths and quick solutions, in an attempt to solve the serious difficulties of our country”. Although “laws and sentences can determine the legality of certain actions this is no reason to consider the latter moral or good”. Therefore acting “against the life of a human being whatever the circumstances continues to be an immoral act and even more serious when it is against the most helpless of persons”.
In this situation the Bishops called on all men and women of good will to “take a courage stand to defence human life, respect the rights of the unborn child and reject abortion at all times”. The Bishops call on the government and the institutions “to take seriously their duty to guarantee good service and all the necessary attention to pregnant mothers and their unborn child".
Only hours before the ruling in Colombia, the documentation and analysis team of the Spanish HazteOir Platform issued a lengthy dossier on strategies of international organisations to promote abortion throughout America, warning that the ruling of Colombia’s Constitutional Court could lead to widespread legalisation of abortion in Latin America. The authors said the aim of the report was "to inform public opinion of the truth behind this joint plan of international organisations started over ten years ago ". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2006; righe 34, parole 460)
