Chilean cardinal says Christians do not distinguish between wanted and “unwanted” children

Santiago, Chile, Sep 20, 2006 / 22:00 pm

The Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz, defended the dignity of the unborn this week and rejected the distinction between wanted and “unwanted” children, because he said, “each human being is a gift and a child of God.”

During the Te Deum for the anniversary of Chile’s independence, Cardinal Errazuriz recalled that “from the point of view of Christianity, we do not distinguish between wanted and unwanted persons,” and that the vocation of Christians is to love everyone “as Christ loved us.”

“Little by little, more people speak of ‘wanted children’ and ‘unwanted’ children, and not of the children we receive and welcome with all of our affection.  The terminology stems from the field of family planning.  It contains a grain of truth, but it cannot prevail as a dominant category in our human relations,” the cardinal warned.

He told Chileans to be on guard against this terminology that “in other countries is used to justify abortion.”  Each unborn child should be welcomed and does not lose his or her dignity and worth, “even though he or she may not have been wanted.”

Cardinal Errazuriz called on Chileans to thank God for the family and said family members should make every effort to “love one another as Christ loved us.”