Abortion in Campeche, Mexico: Those who favor this practice are excommunicated, remembers prelate

After abortion until 12 weeks of gestation was decriminalized in the Mexican state of Campeche on February 25, Mons. José Francisco González-until today Bishop of the Diocese of Campeche and newly appointed archbishop of Tuxtla-Gutiérrez-recalled that those who promote and facilitate this practice, including women, doctors and legislators, will be excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

The initiativepromoted by the Human Rights Commission of the State of Campeche (Codhecam), was approved on February 24 in a “session reserved” by majority in the local Congress. According to the Organic Law of Congress, legislators are prohibited from revealing the meaning of their vote.

With this reform, articles 155, 157, 158 and 159 of the Cápeche Code are modified, allowing the interruption of pregnancy within the first 12 weeks and establishing more severe sanctions for those who force a woman to abort.

Campeche thus became the Mexican state number 21 to decriminalize abortion. Since October 1, 2024, with the arrival of Claudia Sheinbaum and with the majority control of his party, Morena, the local congresses of several states have followed this route. Jalisco, Michoacán, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, State of Mexico, Chiapas, Nayarit and Chihuahua have decriminalized the practice until 12 weeks of pregnancy during the first 148 days of Sheinbaum’s mandate.

Exomulgated “who favors abortion”

In a press conference On February 26, Mons. González described the decision as “incomprehensible” from the legal and social point of view, because the vote was carried out “behind closed doors” and in the middle of the carnival, one of the most important festivities of the State.

The Prelate recalled that the Canon Law Code establishes that “who favors abortion is practically out of communion with the Church. That is, he cannot participate in the sacraments, both the one who encourages him and the one who executes it or who collaborates ”.

He also warned that those who promoted this law as Catholics, and support abortion, “should not participate in the sacraments”; and invited them to “reconsider and (to) reunite their Catholic faith.”

Abortion, a crime “particularly serious and ignominious”

Mons. González reiterated that “among all the crimes that man can commit against life, abortion procured presents characteristics that make it particularly serious and ignominious.” Therefore, he called for a providant front, because he considered that life “should not be protected only by the mother, who takes him in his uterus, or by the father, who has procreated him, but by the whole society.”

He warned that, if abortion is justified under the argument that the child to be born is not desired, “later, society,” and we are not very far-–, will propose to do something similar with the children already born who do not behave well, or that they are sickly, or that face a disability “as well as with the sick and elderly. “Finally, no life will be respected, for any reason it can be cut off,” he added.

“Are there really concrete actions and policies that support pregnant women who want to be mothers? Is there support for old women suffering from loneliness and disease? Are there supports to mothers who suffer the effects of alcoholism from one of their children or husband? And women with cancer or dialysis, what are you aid? Is there women help to train and open field in the challenging situations of modern life? ”The prelate questioned.

Finally, Mons. González reported that the Church will work on various actions to counteract the legalization of abortion in the State, reaffirming its commitment to the protection of life from conception.