Catholics and evangelicals in Paraguay unite in opposition to anti-life, anti-family bill

Asunción, Paraguay, May 26, 2005 / 22:00 pm

During an ecumenical service held at the archdiocesan Cathedral in Asuncion, Paraguay, Archbishop Pastor Cuquejo and various evangelical leaders expressed their rejection of proposed laws that would constitute an attack on human life and the family.

The service, which was held in response to a proposed law that would liberalize the country’s abortion and marriage laws, was attended by the president of the Association of Evangelical Pastors of Paraguay, Santiago Maldonado; Anglican Bishop Juan Ellinson; Pastor Jose Micena, and Archbishop Pastor Cuquejo of Asuncion.

Micena criticized lawmakers who want to “change the natural order established by God,” rejecting in the name of Evangelical churches, “the immoral and depraved bills that seek to relativize human life,” and he warned politicians that if they don’t change their attitudes, “the people will make them pay dearly.”

Anglican Bishop Ellinson invited all Christians to strengthen the family and he reminded parents that they should be the first teachers of their children.  “If relativism was stopped in Europe, it can be stopped here as well and moral values can be recovered.”

Archbishop Cuquejo called on lawmakers not to contaminate the country with phony laws.  “If we want to think about a new society, we need to think about God,” he emphasized.

“Today all Christians will pray for our legislators, that they do not pass laws that relativize life,” the archbishop said, adding that laws should “reflect the thinking of the Christian people, because this thinking is healthy and is in conformity with the will of God.”

The protest had a significant political impact: Paraguay’s House of Representatives voted on Thursday to reject the project by 57 votes against 6 and 3 abstentions.