San José, Costa Rica, Sep 10, 2009 / 12:07 am (CNA).- In response to attempts by lawmakers to eliminate a clause from the country’s constitution that states the official religion of Costa Rica is the Catholic faith, Bishop Jose Francisco Ulloa of Cartago said the Church "will not be silent" and will not abandon her mission to defend human life and the family.

In a recent homily at the cathedral, the bishop remarked, "Certain groups and ideologies exist that pretend to weaken and even eliminate the mission that Jesus Christ entrusted to his Church, as if the Church of Jesus were dependent upon human whims or on some part of a political constitution. The Church is divine and nobody can destroy her," he said.

Referring to the Costa Rican constitution, which declares that the country’s official religion is the Catholic faith, but that the state shall not interfere with the free exercise of any religion that does not contradict "universal morality or good morals," Bishop Ulloa said there are some who mistakenly believe that "the Catholic Church is going to be silent" about the proposed changes or that it will "compromise the principles that God has entrusted her to proclaim throughout history for the good of the human person and of humanity."

"The Church will always respect life from conception to natural death," he said. "The Church will continue to proclaim God’s truth about marriage between one man and one woman without fear. The Church will continue to defend the rights of the family at all costs," the bishop added.

He went on to note that some lawmakers believe that with these changes "they will kill God. They are totally wrong. God does not die. He is the God of life, He is eternal, unchangeable. All creation depends on Him and only in Him does human life find meaning."

"When the human being denies God, he becomes dehumanized and loses his dignity," the bishop continued. "When a state becomes atheist, it is capable of committing the worst injustices and the gravest aberrations. History is witness to this."

Bishop Ulloa went on to encourage Costa Ricans to choose wisely those who will occupy political office and to cast their votes for candidates that defend life, marriage and the family. "Let us protest loudly and without fear against these anti-human, anti-Christian and atheistic policies that some wish to impose upon us," he said.

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