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Mexico City: Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox Church Leaders Unite in Fight Against Abortion Law

By Gudrun Schultz

MEXICO CITY, March 22, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Church leaders from Mexico City's  Roman Catholic, Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches joined together this week in denouncing a proposed law that would allow abortion in the capital city area--Mexico City is a federal district with its own legislature.

"A human law can legalize abortion, but it will always remain an absolute immoral act," said Father Hugo Valdemar Romero, communications director for the Archdiocese of Mexico, in a statement March 21. Entitled The Church Has Not Been Defeated, the statement condemns attempts by civil leaders to shut the Church out of the debate, reported Zenit News Agency.

"Neither the Catholic Church, nor the society in which women and men of good will actively participate, has been defeated by those who promote an unjust, irresponsible and criminal law that tries to terminate the life of innocent and defenseless beings in the maternal womb, beings who have the right to be born and to live their own life," Fr. Romero stated. "The Church and civil society have not experienced a loss in the battle for human life that, in fact, has only just begun."

"The Church will not keep quiet. The Church has a prophetic duty to denounce sin, evil and injustice. … The Church has to warn of the fatal consequences of a perverse proceeding ruled by egotism and subjectivism that tries to disguise as a right what is in fact licentiousness. The law of God is clear when it categorically states: Do not kill!"

The abortion bill would permit unrestricted abortion up to 14 weeks gestation. The legislation is the latest in radical liberal laws introduced under a new leftist majority in the city government, producing a growing outcry from religious leaders over the imposition of anti-life and anti-family policies on a predominantly Christian population.

"The leftists' anti-democratic, intolerant and fascist attitude has tried to shut up a voice that objects to this absurd blood law," Fr. Romero said.

Although the Mexico City abortion legislation is likely to pass, a bill introduced in the federal legislature last week that would see abortion legalized throughout the country is expected to fail. President Felipe Calderón, a practicing Roman Catholic who attends mass daily, has made clear his support for protection of the unborn.

President Calderón spoke out against the Mexico City abortion bill on Monday, criticizing the city legislature for imposing their liberal abortion views on the population.

"I have a personal conviction, and I am in defense of life," the Associated Press reported him as saying. "I have a plain respect for dignity and human life and within this I believe the existing legislation is adequate." Abortion is illegal in Mexico except in cases of rape or if the mother's life is in danger.

Bishop Felipe Arizmendi of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico, called Mexico City's abortion bill an "extermination initiative", warning Catholic members of the legislature, in particular, of their obligation to stand against any law attacking human life.

"[A] law, only by being approved by a group of unscrupulous legislators, cannot change the morality of a fact. Christian consciousness considers abortion a murder and, thus, a grave, mortal sin, punished by excommunication," said Bishop Arizmendi in a statement issued by the Mexican Episcopal conference March 15.

Mexico City's legislature passed a law legalizing homosexual civil unions last November. Following the abortion initiative, the city's assembly intends to push for the legalization of euthanasia, according to a Reuters report.

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Mexico City Legislature Votes to Approve Gay Civil Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/06111005.html

Daily Mass Catholic Pro-Lifer Wins Mexico Presidential Elections over Abortion Supporter
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jul/06070608.html

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