Pro-life Chileans seek legal protection for the unborn

Santiago, Chile, Mar 9, 2007 / 11:35 am

Pro-life groups in Chile are pushing for legislation to give legal status to human embryos and to the unborn at any stage of development and to assure their proper burial in case they are aborted.

Veronica Santa Maria of the Network For Life and the Family said her organization, together with other pro-lifers and with Congressman Francisco Chahuan, are working on the details of the legislative proposals.

The initiative began after a number of aborted babies were found in the city of Valparaiso and were given Christian burial.  Pro-lifers pointed to the incident as evidence that no legal norm exists allowing for possession of the fetus after an abortion in order to give it proper burial.  “This is because in Chile there is no juridical statute that regulates the rights of the embryo,” Chahuan said.

Chahuan revealed that the measure would be sent to the floor during the first week of the new legislative session.  He explained that his office is working with pro-life groups to come with norms that would grant legal protection to embryos.  “There are a series of norms that would have to be modified and we would need to create a unique juridical statute,” he emphasized.
 
Bishop Gonzalo Duarte Garcia de Cortazar of Valparaiso will celebrate a Mass for the intention of the new legislative measure at the local cathedral. Pro-life activists said they would also organize a march in support of the effort.