Mexico City, Mexico, Jul 11, 2007 / 08:44 am
The president of the College of Catholic Lawyers in Mexico, Armando Martinez Gomez, announced this week the organization would send a proposal to the National Congress and local legislatures to reform the Constitution in order to strengthen religious freedom in the country and allow religious education in public schools.
Martinez Gomez, who will be presenting the proposal in the name of the Archdiocese of Mexico City, said it was very important that the Constitution be reformed “in order for there to be true religious freedom, because Mexico continues to a be a restrictive country in this area and therefore the Church is focused on this issue.”
He noted that during the debate on the legalization of abortion in Mexico City, “the freedom of expression of religious leaders was restricted” and “several lawsuits against clergy members are still pending.”
Martinez Gomez stressed that clergy members “are citizens who have the right, like the rest of Mexicans, to hold and to express opinions and political, non-partisan positions.” However, they are constantly restricted in exercising that right.