The Catholic Church in the Mexican State of Nayarit called on society to promote a “agenda of life”, in response to the decriminalization of abortion until 12 weeks gestation, voted by the State Congress on January 24.
According to him Communication Body of the Nayarit Congressthe reform approved “eliminates penalties to women who interrupt pregnancy within the first twelve weeks of gestation.”
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In addition, it establishes that “the penalties to those who make interruptions to pregnancy against the will or consent of the woman are increased, as well as the penalties to the medical staff involved in the procedures of this nature are proscribed.”
Nevertheless, Article 7 of the Local Constitution He still declares that “it is recognized, protects and guarantees the right to life of every human being from the moment of natural or artificial fertilization and is reputed as born for all the corresponding legal effects, until his natural death.”
With this reform, Nayarit became the eighteenth Mexican state to allow abortion. Sinaloa is the only state that allows this practice until 13 weeks, while in Coahuila, although articles on the penalty of abortion have been invalidated, no clear limits have been established in this regard.
“Agenda of life”
In response to this decision, the bishop of Tepic, Mons. Luis Antonio Flores Calzada, expressed his regret Through a video disseminated in their social networks, qualifying the measure as “a legislative act that ignores the intrinsic dignity of human life from its conception and confronts us with the reality of a culture that seems to have forgotten the sacred value of life.”
Mons. Flores Calzada emphasized the urgency of “starting a ‘agenda of life’ that summons all sectors of our society willing to participate in the defense and promotion of life.”
“This effort will seek to generate the necessary conditions to guarantee not only the right to be born, but also human dignity and peace in our beloved state of Nayarit,” said Mons. Flores Calzada.
He also urged the community to maintain hope and, despite the decision of the legislators, encouraged them to sustain “firmly our faith and our convictions. We must be the voice of those who have no voice, especially those who are in a vulnerable situation. ”
In the state there are several initiatives that offer support to pregnant women in vulnerable situation, such as Cáritas, institution of the Catholic Church.
Finally, the prelate encouraged Catholics to “pray for our state of Nayarit and for those who have the power to decide on laws that deeply affect our lives, that come to a conversion of what they have done wrong.”
“That the Holy Spirit, to guide us in this path towards the defense of life, always reminding us that every human being is a beautiful gift of God,” he concluded.
Diego López Colín
I am a graduate of journalism at the Carlos Septién García school with experience of religious institutional communication. Since 2016 I write for digital media and, since 2018, I report the most important news about the Catholic event in Mexico for the Ewtn news channel. ACI Press correspondent in Mexico since 2023.