More than 400,000 pro-life signatures presented to Argentine legislature

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jun 7, 2018 / 18:00 pm

In the run-up to a Congressional vote on a pending abortion bill, 417,000 signatures expressing support for the unborn and their mothers were presented June 5 to Argentina's legislature.

The bill, which would legalize elective abortion in the country, will be voted on in the House of Representatives on June 13.

The signatures were delivered by representatives of pro-life organizations to Congresswomen Gabriela Burgos and Carmen Polledo, who chair the  committees on Criminal and Healthcare Legislation, respectively.

Speaking to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish language sister agency, the president of Más Vida, Raul Magnasco, said that the signatures are "one more proof of the clear commitment that the people of Argentina have in defense of life and their rejection of legalized abortion."

"Thousands more signatures have come and are coming in up to today from different provinces. [The response] has filled with joy all of us who are committed to life," he added.

In addition to political action, Catholics have organized prayer campaigns in defense the lives of unborn babies and their mothers.

A "Jericho for Life" prayer campaign began June 6,  inspired by the Old Testament story of the walls of Jericho falling down in response to prayer.

In the scriptural account, Joshua's army, led by priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, circled the city until its walls fell on the seventh day with the sounding of the trumpets.

Jericho for Life invites Catholics to adore the Blessed Sacrament, or recite the rosary, magnificat, or other brief prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to read Scripture, and to ask for the intercession of Argentina's patron saints.

The prayer campaign will conclude June 12, the day before the vote, with a Jericho for Life prayer rally surrounding the capitol building.

The Argentine Conference of Bishops encouraged participation in a day of prayer and fasting June 7.

Pro-life marches are scheduled in 16 cities and are sponsored by Unidad Provida (Pro-life Unity) and umbrella group for 100 pro-life organizations.

The March for Life held May 20 drew 3,600,000 participants in 270 cities.

On June 13, the day of the vote on the abortion bill, a demonstration will also be held in front of the capitol building in Buenos Aires at 6:00 pm local time.

In yet another effort, a new documentary "9 Enuentros para Vivir o Abortar" will be shown at the Argentine capitol building June 7. The film interviews politicians, doctors, mothers of young women who died from an abortion, and others with both pro-life and pro-abortion views.

This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.