AMERICA/MEXICO - The Church in Mexico raises her voice to protest against penal code reforms to de-penalise abortion and euthanasia and allow same sex marriages: “At stake, is the good of the family, the cradle of society and the Church”

Mexico City (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church in Mexico is firmly against penal code reforms to de-penalise abortion up to 14 weeks. The Archdiocese of Mexico City and 50 civil associations, lay Catholics and members of other religions, took part in a pro-life pilgrimage on 25 March, Por-Life Day, at the Basilica of Guadalupe, where Cardinal Norberto Rivera presided a special Mass for the occasion. Prayers intentions included: respect for life from the moment of conception to natural end; that women may appreciate the gift of motherhood; that legislators may protect human rights, first of all the right to life from the moment of conception; for governments and politicians that they may seek the common good; for the elderly, the sick and person with a disability.
A few days earlier in a statement entitled “The Church is not Defeated " the archdiocese said "The Church and civil society are not defeated, the battle for life has just begun…the Church will not be silent, faithful to the Lord she has the duty to denounce sin, evil and injustice and challenge the bad consciences of people who want to legalise the killing of innocent babies… she has the duty to point out the terrible consequences of perverse conduct stemming from selfishness and subjectivism, claiming as a right what is only libertinage".
Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, Archbishop of Guadalajara, joined the protest and said "abortion is murder and can never be legal… we are against this infamous law, inhuman legislation which attacks the fundamental right to life… this is a crime, aberrant and insane”. The Cardinal called on Mexican Catholics to realise what is happening and what is at stake with regard to abortion and same sex marriages: " At stake, is the good of the family, the cradle of society and the Church. If the family falls there can be no future.
The President of the Bishops’ Conference Bishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Texcoco diocese said "defence of human life is not only a question of dogma of faith it is a human right " and the Catholic Church is against abortion on principle to defend all human rights including in this case the rights of the unborn child. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 26/3/2007; righe 35, parole 502)