Cardinal calls on Spaniards to turn out en masse for October 17 march

Madrid, Spain, Oct 8, 2009 / 11:51 am

The Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Rouco, encouraged Spaniards this week to participate in the upcoming March for Life which more than 40 organizations are convening from all over the country. The October 17 march is being held as the Spanish government continues to push for a liberalization of the country's abortion laws.
 
In Salamanca, where he attended the opening of the new school year for the Pontifical University, the cardinal explained that this important event “is very good, and so is exercising one’s right to protest.”
 
After noting that he would not be able to attend the march, Cardinal Rouco said it will be very difficult to stop the government’s anti-life agenda but that Spaniards should not give up hope.
 
“May our Lord resolve these problems. Because history is long and therefore the future of a society, of a people, is not controlled by men. And what is legislated today can change a chapter of history later on,” he told the COPE Radio Network.

The Spanish cardinal also touched on the issue of education and parent's right to object to the Education for the Citizenry course being required by the government.

Cardinal Rouco explained that the state “is not the monopolizing owner of education and must count on society. And not only through simple and pure political instruments, but also through social dialogue, social debate and a little bit of agreement among all of the realities of society involved in education.”
 
Parents, who are the primary educator of their children, should be taken into consideration first and foremost, he said.