Legalization of abortion: Ecuadorian President threatens to resign
October 15, 2013: His Exc. Mgr. Antonio Arregui, Archbishop of Guayaquil and President
of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference (CEE), has defined the position of the country's
president, Rafael Correa, as "commendable" with regards to the issue of a possible
legalization of abortion. Correa has in fact threatened to resign if his party, "Alianza
PaĆs", continues to put pressure regading the approval of a reform that would legalize
abortion.
In a note sent to Fides, Mgr. Arregui said he was "impressed by the
courage, the quality with which the president spoke". Mgr. Arregui also states that
the Church's position on this issue is well known: "We believe that human life is
sacred and cannot be eliminated". As reported in the note sent to Fides, this week
there will be an official statement of the Catholic Church.
Rafael Correa,
speaking on TV, stigmatized in particular parliamentarians belonging to his party
who support the bill for the decriminalization of abortion, a practice that currently
the Criminal Code strictly prohibits. According to what the local press reports, Correa
spoke of "serious betrayal and treachery", recalling that he had always made clear
his opposition to any form of legalization of abortion. Correa defines himself "leftist,
humanist and Catholic". (Agenzia Fides)