“In these cases, when the woman is a victim, it is reasonable that both civil society and the legal system provide for her defense and protection. However, we consider that claiming a right ceases to be legitimate if it involves denying or trampling on the rights of others.”
The bishops recalled that "the fact that every pregnancy involves the existence of another human being, distinct from the mother, in conditions of helplessness and vulnerability, who in turn has the right to be part of the human family, cannot be covered over or minimized.”
The bishops questioned whether "there weren’t other ways to safeguard the lives of the mothers together with that of their unborn children,” saying that “the problem of abortion cannot be limited only to pregnant women, but demands the solidarity of the entire society.”
The bishops stated that "where evil stands as the only option, we want to be the first to help find the good option when abortion seems to be the solution" and that they do this "in the name of the One who came to bring life in abundance.”
The bishops proposed this "in the hope that the State, as well as all compatriots of good will, will spare no effort to protect and promote human life, even in the most complex circumstances."
In a Feb. 21 video, Archbishop Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogotá, president of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, recalled that "the Colombian Constitution says that life is the fundamental right of all citizens and from here proceed the other rights that are defended in Colombia and around the world.”
The archbishop said that "for us believers, in addition to being a natural right," life "is a gift from God and we will continue to announce, defend and promote human life, from gestation to natural death."
Walter Sánchez Silva is a senior writer for ACI Prensa (https://www.aciprensa.com). With more than 15 years of experience, he has reported from important ecclesial events in Europe, Asia and Latin America during the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
E-mail: walter@aciprensa.com