Mexican priest to appeal charge from Federal Electoral Institute

Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 8, 2011 / 14:01 pm

The spokesman for the Archdiocese of Mexico City, Father Valdemar Romero, announced March 6 that he will appeal a ruling against him by the Federal Electoral Institute.

The institute ruled that the priest was guilty of proselytism for criticizing the Democratic Revolutionary Party's efforts to legalize abortion and same-sex unions in Mexico City. 

Members of the party were key in getting the city’s Legislative Assembly to legalize abortion up to week 12 in 2007. The Democratic Revolutionary Party also secured the passage of a law allowing same-sex unions in December of 2009. The Supreme Court upheld the law in August of 2010 as “in accord with the Constitution,” extending the right of gay couples to adopt as well.

In both cases the Archdiocese of Mexico strongly rejected the measures as attacks on life and the family.

Fr. Valdemar spoke with CNA on March 7, explaining his accusers argue that in 2010, “on one occasion I said that Catholics cannot vote for a party like the (Democratic Revolutionary Party) since it has approved these laws that attack our values as Christians.”

“You can’t characterize one single statement as proselytism,” he continued. “I would have to be repeating it over and over again in different forums and with that intention, which I have not done,” the priest said.

He added that he and others in the archdiocese “have simply appealed to the consciences of Catholics not to vote for a party that destroys their values, as Pope Benedict has been saying for many years.”

The priest then accused the Democratic Revolutionary Party of wanting to “shackle” the Catholic Church and “silence her, as if they would make her disappear.”

“They don’t do so because it is not in their hands,” Fr. Valdemar said. 

“This is all because we have strongly criticized their legislative actions in the Federal District, where they have passed laws that affect the family and break the nucleus of society which is the family,” he continued. “Of course, they don’t like this and they are profoundly intolerant,” Fr. Valdemar added.
 
“I am not intimidated,” he continued, “but is this a persecution through the courts being carried out? It is. I have been the target of nine lawsuits by the left and its affiliate groups. What is this all about? It’s about persecution.”

“They want to silence us because they are very afraid that the Catholic faithful might respond to the Church’s questioning of their actions and deny them their vote. It is not possible to vote in conscience for parties that attack life, the family and fundamental values,” Fr. Valdemar stated.

“This isn’t something I made up, this is the teaching of the Pope, who has been saying over and over again that Catholics must conscientiously cast their votes and cannot support parties that are against the Gospel, against values, because a person who votes like this is committing an ethical offense against his own faith, his own morals, his own religion and one cannot do that.”

“You cannot be a good Catholic and at the same time vote for these parties that destroy the Catholic faith,” he added.