Peruvian archbishops support each other in fight against abortion lobby

Piura, Peru, Mar 12, 2008 / 15:39 pm

Archbishop Jose Antonio Eguren of Piura in northern Peru has expressed his solidarity with the Archbishop of Arequipa in response to attempts by abortion supporters to introduce new norms that would allow for abortion in public hospitals, stressing that “an unborn child is not a matter of opinion.”

At the end of his Sunday homily, Archbishop Eguren called for the defense of human life from the moment of conception.

“In the gospel, the Lord Jesus cries at the tomb of his friend Lazarus.  But today he cries today as children perish from the unspeakable crime of abortion in the wombs of their mothers.  In response to those who push a culture of death by seeking the legalization of abortion in our country, we must say that human life is inviolable from the moment of conception,” he said.

“This is not only a commandment of the Christian faith,” he said, “but a natural law written in the deepest part of every man’s heart and is valid for both believers and non-believers.  An unborn child is not a question of opinion, or a fantasy, and much less something to be disposed of or killed.  An unborn child is just as human as one that is born,” the archbishop stressed.

“From Piura I send my solidarity and support to my brother bishop Javier del Rio of Arequipa, who right now in that beloved region of Peru is facing powerful economic interests of the international culture of death.  We would like to tell him that he is not alone in the fight for life,” Archbishop Eguren stated.