Church call on Gov’t to look again at Gender policy - No to abortion, same sex unions
The Roman Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago is urging the People’s Partnership government to look again at its draft Gender Policy and excise any clauses that impinge on the sanctity of all life.
A release from the Catholic Commission of Social Justice (CCSJ) and Vicar General Msgr Robert Llanos, identified three specific areas of concern. They are -: re-definition of the term ‘gender’; legalised abortion and same sex unions.
“The Catholic Church rejects any attempt to redefine ‘gender’ which, as the Holy See stated at a UN meeting in March 2011, ‘asserts that sexual identity can somehow be adapted indefinitely to suit new and different purposes, not recognised in international law.’”
Addressing abortion, the release stated, “We reject any attempts to legalise abortion in Trinidad and Tobago. We believe human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation.
“We agree with Mother Teresa that abortion has portrayed the greatest of gifts – a child – as a competitor, an intrusion and an inconvenience.” The release stated that it stood by the Church’s teaching that, “We cannot endorse choices that drastically and unjustly limit the choices of other human beings.
“We stand as the voice of our vulnerable, voiceless unborn and call for others to open centres such as Mary Care Centre, which was established since 1980, as a sanctuary for unmarried, pregnant young women,” added the release.
Continuing, the statement read, “As we strive to move from a culture of death to a culture of life in Trinidad and Tobago, we must reject the violence of abortion and devise effective strategies to enable our pregnant mothers to have their babies and to care for them.”
Touching on the issue of same sex marriage, the release pointed out that the Church believes “that marriage is a faithful, exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman, joined as husband and wife in an intimate partnership of life and love.”
Pope Benedict XVI has warned of “powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage.” The CCSJ said the Church was prepared to defend traditional marriage from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature.
A release from the Catholic Commission of Social Justice (CCSJ) and Vicar General Msgr Robert Llanos, identified three specific areas of concern. They are -: re-definition of the term ‘gender’; legalised abortion and same sex unions.
“The Catholic Church rejects any attempt to redefine ‘gender’ which, as the Holy See stated at a UN meeting in March 2011, ‘asserts that sexual identity can somehow be adapted indefinitely to suit new and different purposes, not recognised in international law.’”
Addressing abortion, the release stated, “We reject any attempts to legalise abortion in Trinidad and Tobago. We believe human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation.
“We agree with Mother Teresa that abortion has portrayed the greatest of gifts – a child – as a competitor, an intrusion and an inconvenience.” The release stated that it stood by the Church’s teaching that, “We cannot endorse choices that drastically and unjustly limit the choices of other human beings.
“We stand as the voice of our vulnerable, voiceless unborn and call for others to open centres such as Mary Care Centre, which was established since 1980, as a sanctuary for unmarried, pregnant young women,” added the release.
Continuing, the statement read, “As we strive to move from a culture of death to a culture of life in Trinidad and Tobago, we must reject the violence of abortion and devise effective strategies to enable our pregnant mothers to have their babies and to care for them.”
Touching on the issue of same sex marriage, the release pointed out that the Church believes “that marriage is a faithful, exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman, joined as husband and wife in an intimate partnership of life and love.”
Pope Benedict XVI has warned of “powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage.” The CCSJ said the Church was prepared to defend traditional marriage from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature.
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