Mexican bishops renew calls to defend life in wake of Supreme Court ruling

Mexico City, Mexico, Sep 2, 2008 / 13:13 pm

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the constitutionality of a law in Mexico City legalizing abortion up to the twelfth week, the bishops of that country issued a statement reiterating the need to defend life from conception to natural death.

In their statement entitled, “The Culture of Life for Mexico,” the bishops stressed that “moved by the certainty that faith in Jesus Christ gives us, we cannot help but proclaim that human life is a gift and a right that we must always appreciate, care for and protect.”

“This awareness evidently begins by respecting and defending life from conception to natural death.  In the context of this reflection, we call on all of society to fight for the protection of each human embryo, because the inalienable right to life of all individuals from the moment of conception should be an essential element of civil society and its legislation,” the bishops said.

“The decision taken by the Supreme Court clearly shows what task faces society and lawmakers in ensuring that the Constitution of our country explicitly recognizes the rights of the unborn, which is a fundamental element for the strengthening of the culture of life,” they continued.

“Consequently, we believe it is never morally acceptable to grant someone the right over another, even more so if we are talking about the principle of human life, which begins from the moment of conception,” they added.

The bishops encouraged Mexicans to work “together to guarantee the right to life of all persons,” the foundation for all other rights and “upon which the future of our Mexico depends.”