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Colombian Catholic Cardinal Condemns “International Plot against Life” and Family

Tajikistan Catholic leader denounces gay “marriage”

BOGOTA/ DUSHANBE, July 8, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Colombian prelate, Cardinal Pedro Rubiano Sáenz, addressing the Colombian Bishops’ Conference this week, said he and his fellow Colombian bishops are concerned about two proposals currently before the Colombian Supreme Court – one to legalize abortion, and the other to adopt a convention eliminating so-called discrimination against women – “discrimination” here being a code word for a prohibition on abortion.

We “denounce an international plot against life and against the integrity of the family expressed in our country with two requests made by the national Congress to the Supreme Court to legalise abortion and approve the Optional Protocol of the Convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women – CEDAW (Committee to eliminate discrimination against women),” he said.

Cardinal Sáenz said he and his fellow bishops “grieve to see national sovereignty down-trodden, our cultural values ignored and models which attack the integrity of the family and offend the dignity of the human person, the unborn child in particular, imposed on our country.”

According to the Angus Reid Global Scan, a poll conducted last month found that the majority of Colombians oppose the legalization of same-sex unions, with 67 percent saying that same-sex partnerships should not be given any official approval.

Meanwhile in Tajikistan, the Superior of the Tajikistan Catholic Mission said Spain’s decision to legalize same-sex “marriage,” is “ridiculous,” and an “aberration.”

Legalization of same-sex unions “is ridiculous – it offends the family and children in particular,” said Fr. Carlos Avila IVE, in a letter to Fides News. “Our people ask how we can explain such an aberration to our children.” Fr. Avila emphasized that opposition to same-sex unions in Tajikistan is universal among all political and religious groups. “This is not a question of politics or religion, it is good common sense,” he said. “Local Muslims also ask what is going in on Europe, are they out of their minds?”

“What they intend to legalise is contrary to natural law and cannot be accepted under any circumstances or changed times,” Fr. Avila emphasized. “Homosexual unions cannot be called marriage and children need a father and a mother. We must not allow this ulterior abuse of children. We ask the Lord and his Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, not to allow this act of discrimination against the rights of the family and the rights of children.”

Read the Cardinal’s address in Spanish
http://www.evangelizatio.org/portale/adgentes/chieselocali/chieselocali.php?id=1...

(with files from Fides news agency)

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