Politics
Thursday September 6, 2001
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
CHILEAN HEALTH MINISTRY DEFIES SUPREME COURT BY ALLOWING ABORTIFACIENT PILLS
SANTIAGO, September 6, 2001 (LSN.ca) - The same day that the Supreme Court in Chile banned one morning after pill since it can cause an abortion, the Ministry of Health approved another similar pill arguing that the court only banned a certain brand-name of abortifacient morning-after pill. Noting that abortion is illegal in Chile, the court decided Friday to ban use of the abortifacient morning after pill Postinal. Just moments after the ruling, the Health Ministry gave final approval to German drug maker Grunenthal's brand of abortifacient morning after pill.
Dan Zeidler, President of the Family Life Council and a representative for the Latin American Alliance for the Family, told LifeSite it is expected that the Supreme Court will clarify that the ban was against the action of the pill being abortifacient rather than the brand-name. However, the decision by the Ministry of Health to approve the alternate abortifacient is evidence of a deep divide between the current socialist government and long established socially conservative legal tradition. Government spokesman Claudio Huepe said "It is the Health Ministry that directs policy on these issues, and we do not think it is appropriate that health authorities can be overridden by law courts in these cases." However, pro-life observers point out that the courts merely pointed out that since the pills can cause abortions, approval of the pills is illegal since the law forbids abortion.
Reuters reported that current President Ricardo Lagos is the first Chilean leader to call himself a socialist since 1973. Lagos is also struggling with moral conservatives over the issues of divorce and sex education. His government criticized the high court for using its authority to override the health ministry in a medical issue, and criticized the Catholic Church for encouraging citizens not to vote for politicians supporting abortion or divorce. Chile, approximately 75% Catholic, is the only Western democracy in addition to Malta where divorce is illegal.
See related LifeSite coverage:
http://lsn.ca/ldn/2001/sept/010904.html#3
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Terri-Schiavo-Like Disabled Woman Allowed to Live after Parents Reconcile
- California Supreme Court to Hear Anti-Prop. 8 Cases
- Arnold Schwarzenegger's Wife: I'm "a Catholic in Good Standing" But Also Pro-abortion and Pro-Homosexual
- London Couple Refused for Adoption over Spanking...Again
- Ontario School Board Flip Flops on HPV Vaccine Decision
- Vatican Cardinal: "A New World Order is Gaining Ground"
- German Court Orders Children to Be Returned to Homeschooling Family against State Advice
- The View Co-Host Calls Homeschoolers “Demented”
- French Academy Elects Author of Legal Abortion as Newest Member
- Court Orders Approval of Ariz. ‘Choose Life’ License Plates
- Letters to the Editor for Thursday, November 20, 2008
- Donate to LifeSiteNews.com Simply by Surfing the Internet!
Most Read this Week
- Serbian Abortionist Who Aborted 48,000 Babies Becomes Pro-Life Activist
- Italian Nuns Refuse to Kill Eluana
- Alleged Chemical Attack on Pro-lifers at Abortion Clinic Sickens Two
- Charleston Priest Tells Obama-Supporting Catholics to Confess before Receiving Communion Again
- Parliamentary Group Pushing “Nazi Eugenics Principles”: Australian Senator
- Christian Prayer Group Sexually and Physically Assaulted by Homosexual Mob
- UK Catholic Bishop: “I have been thrilled by Barack Obama’s victory and I thank God for it.”
- Lawsuits Proliferate Demanding Proof of Obama's Natural-Born Citizenship before Electoral Vote Count
- What Homeschoolers Can Expect Under an Obama Administration
- Mormons, Knights of Columbus Face Chilling Threats and More Vandalism for Prop. 8 Support
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.