FRAY JUAN DE ZUMÁRRAGA, THE FIRST ARCHBISHOP OF MEXICO CITY Image via Wikipedia
AMERICA/MEXICO -
Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - "Responsibility and Free Expression, A Right of Every Person" is the title of the note that the Bishops' Conference of Mexico sent Fides, explaining the Catholic Church's position on recent events in Mexico's public life.
The note takes a position on the debate over same-sex unions with the possible adoption of children.
"We are all aware of Mexico City Assembly's decision to pass a law that opened the door to these kinds of unions. This decision was carried out hurriedly, without the necessary consultation of different leaders in society and without concern for the consensus of the majority, which was against such unions and especially the adoption of children," the statement reads.
A few days ago, the Supreme Court confirmed the legality of the legal sentence declared by the representatives of Mexico City's government. The Catholic community does not agree with this ruling. As the statement notes: "The Bishops of Mexico, sensitive to the opinion of the majority not only in Mexico City, but also in the entire country, exercising the freedom of expression guaranteed by our democratic political regime, manifest our total disagreement with the ruling issued by the Supreme Court (SCJN), with all due respect for the institutions of the Mexican State. We believe that to make these unions equal to marriage is disrespectful both to the very essence of marriage between a man and a woman, as expressed in article 4 of the Constitution, as well as to the customs and the very culture that has governed us for centuries."
"We lament that in manifesting these concepts to the public, there exist those who respond with recriminations and threats, claiming this is intolerant, when tolerance is supposed to ensure that we can all express our opinions and positions. For this reason, we express our solidarity and our feelings to Cardinals Norberto Rivera Carrera and Juan Sandoval Iniguez about this delicate issue."
The note ends with a call for unity in Mexico, when the country is experiencing serious problems such as insecurity, violence, corruption, etc.
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The document is signed by Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop of Tlalnepantla and President of the Bishops' Conference (CEM) and Bishop Víctor René Rodríguez Gómez, Auxiliary Bishop of Texcoco and Secretary General of CEM. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 23/08/2010)
Links:
Complete Statement (in Spanish)
http://www.fides.org/spa/documents/Comunicado_de_Prensa_Obispos_Mexico_082010.doc
