Mexican cardinal slams lawmakers for scorning a grassroots initiative against abortion

Mexico City, Mexico, Oct 10, 2008 / 02:44 am

The Archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, slammed lawmakers in the state of Jalisco for ignoring a grassroots initiative supported by 53,000 signatures that calls for the protection of the unborn, when they decided to postpone debate on the measure until next year.

 

“I’m not a lawyer but it is wrong for lawmakers to decide” on their own to table discussion on an issue that is supported by more than 53,000 signatures, the cardinal said. 

 

“They are acting with a double standard, because they say they are not in favor of abortion, but they don’t want to say that they are against it either,” he said.

 

“Lawmakers have kidnapped democracy” with such an attitude, the cardinal continued.  “It’s obvious they want to light one candle for God and another for the devil. Most of them are Catholic and they want to stay in good graces with those here in Mexico, just in case, and they don’t want to say no to life, but they don’t want to say yes either,” he said.

 

The cardinal said that if “Mexicans for the Lives of All,” the group promoting the measure, finds a legal way to pressure lawmakers, he will support them.