Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santa Rosa (Agenzia Fides) - In a pastoral letter with the title The Role of the Laity to protect Life and the Family, Bishop Rinaldo Fidel Brédice, of Santa Rosa (Argentina) said “The Future of Argentina is forged in Protection of the Family and Life”. Thanking those who work to "safeguard the fundamental values of marriage and family pastoral concern” the Bishop said that also in Argentina the family is under attacks denounced by the Pope. The media engage in continual counter-education, promoting a family image the opposite to the natural family. There is a move to promote anti-family laws which aim wrongly to "give same sex unions the status of marriage".
In his Letter the Bishop lists Bills being discussed in the country asking "how far will they go to destroy the family?". He mentions as an example compulsory government approved sexual morality for young people; sterilisation on request at state clinics; a move to alter Argentina’s position at the UN to recognise the "rights" of sexual deviations; the non existence of Executive Power to ratify the Protocol Optional of the Convention to Eliminate all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which considers in its Preamble, penalising abortion as a “violation of women’s rights"; decree "Towards a National Plan to Eliminate Discrimination" defined by the corporation of Catholic lawyers as “major plan" against the family which aims among other things to "guarantee... defence and promotion of the rights of people with diverse sexual tendencies and gender identity". Whereas a law to protect the family does not exist.
Also with regard to the right to life the Pastoral Letter says, there are new plans to undermine this most fundamental right. Consequently they facilitate the elimination of the human embryo or its use in honour of scientific progress, which fails to recognise its limits, rejects moral principles which safeguard the dignity of the person, becoming a threat to the person, seen as a mere object or tool. The Bishop said "when they go this far society deteriorates and its very foundations are in danger".
In this situation Bishop Rinaldo Fidel Brédice reminds lay Catholics of their mission and duty to spread the Christian message by example and work especially in sectors where it is most needed. Among these he stresses the promotion of a just social order which puts into practice the principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine seeking to find a Christian solution to questions of bio-ethics, defence of marriage and the family, freedom of education and culture. Another field indicated by the bishop was politics which is a “primary and important service to society ". "Catholics - the Bishop says - have the duty and right to intervene to recall the profound value of life and responsibility for it and to safeguard the future of peoples in formation of culture and social behaviour". Lay people must also work to "evangelise culture centres and the means of social communications". They must also “defend the Church’s right to fulfil its duty, respecting and appreciating the enormous contribution the Church makes to promote a just social order". The Letter ends with a call to "resist the attack of de-Christianisation, speak out, warn others, intervene, joining those already active, make your voiced heard". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 17/7/2006; righe 46, parole 648)
