Mexican Bishops: Abortion offers no support for women

By Vatican News

“We affirm, according to scientific evidence, that human life begins at the moment of conception.”

Bishop José Jesús Herrera Quiñones made that affirmation in view of a case set to come under review on 29 July by Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice.

The country’s top court will hear debates regarding a law in the State of Veracruz which prohibits abortion except in cases of rape or danger of death of the mother or malformation of the unborn child.

Abortion is currently legal up to the 12^th week of gestation only in Mexico City and in the state of Oaxaca.

Chipping away at right to life

Bishop Herrera heads up the Commission for Life of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference and is the Bishop of Nuevo Casa Grandes.

In a statement released on 24 July, he expressed concern that the Supreme Court’s decision could have “a direct impact on the legal protection of the fundamental human right to life, particularly in its early stages.”

Bishop Herrera added that a ruling quashing Veracruz’s abortion law would have immediate effect in the state, which could eventually extend to the rest of Mexico.

True protection of women

“Abortion provides no support for the woman, who can even become a victim in her mother’s womb,” said Bishop Herrera.

Mexico’s Bishops, he recalled, recognize that many women need special protection in their material needs, as well as their physical and mental health.

The dignity of life, he said, begins at conception and extends throughout life, and must be protected especially in the case of women in vulnerable situations.

Guarantee human dignity at every stage

Bishop Herrera urged authorities at every level of Mexican government “to guarantee the maximum juridical protection of the right to life, which every individual enjoys at all times and in all circumstances.”

“We urge all Catholics and all citizens,” he concluded, “to join our efforts to ensure that the dignity of every human being is recognized, even as we face the serious challenges confronting us at this moment in the history of our nation.”