Enough signatures collected for pro-life constitutional amendment process in Colombia

Eduardo Berdejo   By Eduardo Berdejo for CNA

July 24, 2023 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 1 Print

 

null / Credit: Omurden Cengiz/Unsplash

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 24, 2023 / 16:20 pm (CNA).

The leader of the Referendum for Life initiative, Sara Castellanos, said the initiative already has the necessary signatures to request a popular consultation that protects the lives of the unborn in the Colombian constitution.

The goal of the promoters of Referendum for Life is to amend Article 11 of the country’s Magna Carta, which currently states that “the right to life is inviolable. There shall be no death penalty.”

If successful, that the right to life is inviolable “from conception” would be added to the constitutional article. To advance a referendum, it must have the support of 5% of Colombians eligible to vote, or 1.95 million of the 39 million voters.

In a statement to Semana magazine, Castellanos assured that the group has more than 2 million signatures to be presented on July 25 to the National Registrar’s Office for the purpose of its endorsement.

If the registrar’s office validates the necessary amount of signatures, the initiative will go to Congress to be debated and, if approved, a referendum will be held.

“What we want is that we do not fail to recognize that there is a life that must have a right to be born,” Castellanos said.

In 2006, the Constitutional Court of Colombia decriminalized abortion on the grounds of danger to the life of the mother, fetal deformities incompatible with life, and in cases of rape.

In February 2021, the court liberalized abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. After this time frame, abortion is decriminalized only under the conditions established in 2006.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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This is Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of April

April 2, 2024 Catholic News Agency 1
Pope Francis greets a woman religious at a Mass on the World Day of Consecrated Life, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, on Feb. 2, 2024, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Apr 2, 2024 / 12:40 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of April is that the dignity and worth of women be recognized throughout the world. 

“In many parts of the world, women are treated like the first thing to get rid of,” Pope Francis said in a video released April 2. 

“There are countries where women are forbidden to access aid, open a business, or go to school,” he said, adding: “In these places, they are subject to laws that make them dress a certain way. And in many countries, genital mutilation is still practiced.”

He urged the world to “not deprive women of their voice. Let us not rob all these abused women of their voice. They are exploited, marginalized.”

The Holy Father pointed out that “in theory, we all agree that men and women have the same dignity as persons. But this does not play out in practice.”

“Governments need to commit to eliminate discriminatory laws everywhere and to work toward guaranteeing women’s human rights,” Francis said.

“Let us respect women. Let us respect their dignity, their basic rights. And if we don’t, our society will not progress.”

He concluded with a prayer: “Let us pray that the dignity and worth of women be recognized in every culture, and for an end to the discrimination they face in various parts of the world.”

Pope Francis’ prayer video is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.

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