AMERICA/ECUADOR - “We must denounce a spreading culture of death and in the light of the Gospel and Church teaching reaffirm the whole truth on life and the family”: Lenten Letter from Apostolic Vicar of Napo

Thursday, 1 March 2007

Napo (Agenzia Fides) - In a Pastoral letter for Lent Bishop Paolo Mietto Vicar Apostolic of Napo in Ecuador explains the reason for the first National Pro Life and Pro Family Congress to be held at the end of March in Guayaquil (see Fides 26/2/2007). “To oppose new laws being passed in Latin American countries and the rest of the world which attack the family and are contrary to our Christian understanding of human life ".
Pro Life initiatives undertaken in Ecuador with regard to this situation include the decision taken in April 2006 by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to make 25th March the Day for the Unborn Child, "to increase awareness in state institutions, in society and in the family of the respect which is due to human life from conception to natural end” and a decree issued on June 1 2006 to declare the purpose of the mentioned Day: "to protect and guarantee every life from the moment of conception " (see Fides 3/6/2006).
Nevertheless a few months later the National Congress approved amendments to the Health Code proposing the legalisation and imposition of abortion and depenalising adultery (see Fides 10/10/2006; 11/10/2006; 7/11/2006). Clearly promoting a weakening of the family nucleus Congress approved the use of "emergency contraception" in certain cases and other forms of contempt for the right and duty of parents to educate their children.
“Two phenomena signal the advance of a culture of death and the relentless weakening of the family" the Bishop writes in his letter, mentioning ever more frequent recourse to abortion, uncontrolled use of contraceptives, suicide among adolescents, drug abuse, armed violence, domestic violence, abuse of minors; education to sexuality which totally disregards the values of love, fidelity, procreation and marriage; growing number of unmarried mothers, children born out of wedlock, and broken marriages ...
The Bishop welcomes the National Pro Life Congress saying it is an opportunity to “denounce the spreading culture of death and state the whole truth on life and the family in the light of the Gospel and Church teaching and speak out in favour of a culture of life and the family". He concludes urging his people to “help build a country ruled by a culture of life and the family". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 1/3/2007; righe 35, parole 467)


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