President Luis Abinader caused a stir in the country this weekend by favoring the three causes that allow for the interruption of pregnancy, as proposed in the draft penal code reform led by Congress.
The president’s position immediately provoked the rejection of several sectors, including representatives of the Catholic Church who found the phrase “unpleasant.”
“I, like the majority of the population, not only in the Dominican Republic but in the world, disagree with free abortion, but I do think there must be grounds to interrupt the pregnancy. That is the official position of our party (Modern Revolutionary, PRM) ”, the president said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País last weekend.
The bill lists three grounds for permitting termination of pregnancy: in the event of incest or rape, the risk of the mother’s life or that the fetus has a malformation that is incompatible with life.
Conflicting topic
The issue has been the subject of constant conflict, due to fierce opposition from influential sectors defending the right to life from conception to death.
In 2014, when Abinader was the PRM’s presidential candidate, he supported the observation of former President Danilo Medina, who returned the Criminal Code to the Chamber of Deputies to specify the decriminalization associated with the interruption of pregnancy in cases where the mother is in danger and when caused rape and incest.
In 2017, the PRM and its lawmakers recalled their position on abortion on the three causes through a letter, and in 2018, during a participation in the Listín Diario breakfast, the president said that:
“Our party has a position on the three causes. We think we should support them, ”he said in the discussion.
Unpleasant expression
Yesterday, Catholic priests classified President Abinader’s position as “an unfortunate and unpleasant phrase.”
“It is a really unfortunate phrase in this Christmas season, where we celebrate the birth of the Redeemer and also at a time that invites us to the joy and tenderness of God,” said Father Faustino Burgos, who also classified the comment as the lesser. fortunately in this day and age ”, saying in the same way that Abinader’s position astonishes him.
“We are surprised by the President’s expression because he also declares himself a Catholic believer and if he is Catholic first, he must accept in faith and defend what the Church teaches,” he said.
He added that “you cannot say you are a private Catholic or when you go to the temple alone, but you are a Catholic inside and outside the church and wherever you are.” And he warned that they will arise, defend life, and reject any position that is in line with approving the three causes or government, since “ it is an embarrassing act of man to whom God reasoned and ability to know discern because the irrational animals we know don’t ”.
Cause regret
The Bishop of the Diocese of Baní, Monsignor Víctor Masalles, also stated on his Twitter account that “it has led to great regret in the world of faith that a president expresses support for situations precisely on the days of the birth of our Savior. in which the unborn are eliminated, while everyone knows that the causes are the prelude to free abortion ”.
While Father Kennedy Rodríguez said he hopes President Abinader will change his mind as the family needs to be positively encouraged. “Hopefully the president will correct, because we are always for life and family; Instead of those laws that are pro-abortion, we want laws that are pro-life, ”he said.
KNOWING MORE
The Constitution.
Former Congressman Pelegrin Castillo wrote a message on Twitter tagging the president, denouncing abortion and explaining that the constitution needs to be changed to make it possible.
Rapists.
The journalist Margarita Cordero was for three reasons: “In this country, 14 in 100 parents rape their daughters. I want to see the defenders of life and family discuss this issue, ”he added.