May 23, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The Bishops’ Conference of Colombia has informed President Alvaro Uribe of its rejection of a decision by the country’s Constitutional Court to legalize abortion in some circumstances.
The president of the Conference, Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga, and Cardinal Pedro Rubian Saenz of Bogota, met with the president at the Conference headquarters in Bogota. Uribe said he discussed the issue of abortion with the bishops, as well as the issues of religious education, poverty and others.
Regarding the high court’s ruling legalizing abortion in some cases, President Uribe said he must respect it. However, he noted, “As a Christian who adheres to the precepts of the Church, (I should) join in the struggle in Colombia to strengthen respect for life, for ethical principals and moral convictions.
"Such a delicate issue should be handled with much care and we should proceed with prudence in listening to different sectors.” Only after he has become familiar with the text of the ruling would he be ready to “proceed with great prudence,” Uribe said.