Cardinal Rivera denounces misleading information about “morning after pill”

Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 15, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Mexico’s highest ranking prelate, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City, spoke out against misinformation concerning the controversial “morning after pill” and stated that the Catholic Church will make no concessions regarding the right to life, saying “we cannot negotiate about the truth.”

In an exclusive interview with the Mexican news service Notimex, the Cardinal explained that the moral and ethical challenges the country faces demand that Christians take a stand.  But he warned nevertheless that, “unfortunately here in Mexico that decision is made more difficult by the lack of complete information available to the public and because the media and activist groups that are seeking to take advantage of the proposal are only presenting part of the truth and not the entire picture.”

Regarding the attacks against the Church for defending the right to life, the Cardinal recalled that “although the crowd shouts ‘Crucify him!’ the Lord has to carry his cross to the end,” and he reiterated that even though others are silent, “We shall never make concessions.”

Likewise the Cardinal criticized independent doctors, who are not employed by any organizations and are free to express the truth, for not having spoken out about the reality of the abortion pill.

Cardinal Rivera also denounced the attitude of some Catholics or “semi-Catholics” who claim that as laity they have an excuse to live “as if they don’t have the right to proclaim the truth, that it is best that they be silent,” and he explained that this is the current situation in 21st century France, which claims to be liberal but won’t allow women to wear a veil.

“Here in Mexico we already have experienced this.  For 11 years we have not been allowed to wear clerical garb.  We could be fined for wearing religious symbols.  This seems ridiculous in Mexico.  We hope that this seems ridiculous as well in France in a few years,” said the Cardinal.

On the other hand, the Cardinal expressed his concern for the “dictates of the powerful” in Mexico and other parts of the world, not only in questions of reproductive health but “in many other areas” as well, especially in the areas of education and economics.

He reiterated that without the right to life, to education or to sustenance, the mission of the Church loses meaning.  “We have to be clear about this and we cannot make concessions, because we would be betraying mankind and Mexico,” he said.

“We don’t want to impose our way of thinking on anybody, but we do demand the right to proclaim what we see as the truth, and many times we are denied this right,” he concluded.