Ecuadoran archbishop says sacrifice of the unborn is unacceptable

Quito, Ecuador, Sep 16, 2008 / 17:12 pm

Thousands of Catholics participated in three Masses celebrated by the bishops of Ecuador this past weekend, with the president of the Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza, reminding Ecuadorans that the rights of the unborn must be respected.  “We must all help these lives to achieve viability when there are problems. We can never accept that these lives are sacrificed,” he said.

The archbishop made his comments during the Mass he celebrated on Sunday to encourage Catholics to pray and be informed about the upcoming national referendum on September 28 that will determine whether or not a reform of the country’s Constitution is accepted.
The reform has been led by President Rafael Correa, whose advisors during the project included Spanish socialists.  The new Constitution would open the door to abortion, gay unions and state interference in education.

According to the ANSA news agency, thousands of Ecuadorans attended the three Masses celebrated in Quito. Parishes were closed in the capital in order to encourage attendance at the massive celebrations.

During his homily, Archbishop Arregui underscored that man must not exclude God from human affairs.  “Earthly power without heaven is ambiguous and fragile. Only power that is made subject to the principles and judgment of heaven, that is, of God, can become good.  And only the power that is under the blessing of God is trustworthy,” he said.