LILONGWE MARCH 18, 2016 (CISA) – Episcopal Conference of Malawi has issued a pastoral statement on the Year of Mercy that reaffirms their respect for the sanctity of life in the midst of a pro-abortion push.
“In a country little by little marked by trends in the declining respect for human life , the Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for the society…” the bishops said in a pastoral statement on March 13.
“…Our belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all the principles of social teaching,” added the statement titled “Mercy of God as a Path of Hope” which touched on Catholic social teaching and its relevance to Malawi.
The bishops urged women that undergo the ‘tormenting experience’ of abortion to seek God’s mercy. Apart from abortion, the pastoral statement highlighted other pertinent issues in Malawi including; persistent hunger, corruption, insecurity, tribal divisions and poor economic development.
Abortion rights activists, who have a backup of international support, are working to legalize the act of abortion in Malawi.
According to the activists, legal restrictions make women to commit illegal abortions that put that health of the women at risk. “Through the agents of the culture of the death, campaigning for abortion legislation, human life is under direct attack,” noted the bishops.
“In these circumstances, we wish to reaffirm that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every society is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.”
