Lawmakers elected to preserve common good and not to violate right to life, bishops warn

Mexico City, Mexico, Apr 19, 2007 / 08:38 am

The Bishops’ Conference of Mexico, which is meeting in Plenary Assembly this week, has reaffirmed its position in defense of the life of the unborn and has reminded lawmakers of the Mexico City Legislative Assembly that they were elected “to preserve the common good” and not to pass laws “that violate the natural right to life of the innocent.”

“Any legislation in favor of abortion is a contradiction of the proper role of the State, which exists totally and exclusively at the service of the person and the community,” the bishops warned in a statement.  They noted that while it is true that “this law will oblige no one to have an abortion,” the way people think and act is often determined by what the law says.

In their statement the bishops underscored that abortion can never be justified for any reason and that “nobody owns the life of another human being, not even a father or a mother.”  The right to life, they said, is part of natural law and is not a religious dogma. Therefore, society has a duty to protect the unborn.

The bishops said that those who are in difficult situations and may feel led to make “the drastic decision to abort” should be treated with “justice, love and solidarity” but that no hesitation should be made in “protecting the innocent child who would be put to death.”  Pastoral experience shows that abortion harms the “conscience and mind” of a woman, the bishops concluded.