A statement released by Catholic universities in Argentina has called out the nation’s recent abortion law as an “offence to the constitutional legal order”.
Last December, Argentina legalised the killing of unborn children up to 14 weeks, and up to birth when the child is a result of rape or if the mother’s life is deemed to be at risk.
The legislation was condemned by Argentine Catholic bishops as “untenable”.
A collective statement by Catholic universities in Argentina has now demanded that the legal system recognise the “grave and manifest incompatibility” of the new abortion law with the Constitution, which makes “this law unfeasible”.
Affirming “the culture of life”, the Argentine Network of Catholic and Catholic Oriented Universities stressed that the legalisation of abortion, last year, was unscientific and wholly “ideological”, conflicting with “constitutional provisions”, including the right of individual provinces to determine their own health laws.
The law also blatantly trampled the right to life of human beings from conception to birth, a right enshrined in the Constitution.
“This law does not pass the necessary tests of constitutionality, conformity to international conventions (signed by Argentina) and legislative consistency within common law”, said the statement.
Only legislation “coming from a culture of life”, which “the vast majority of the Argentine people share, whatever their religious or moral convictions”, should be permitted, the Catholic universities affirmed.
Michael Robinson SPUC Director of Communications said: “It is heartening to see universities taking a stand against abortion, as well as upholding justice and the right to life of unborn children.
“Many universities, especially in the West, are becoming increasingly hostile to the pro-life position and are trying to clampdown on pro-life freedom of speech. This is because the scientific evidence from biology, embryology, foetal surgery and ultrasound technology confirms what everyone really knows — the unborn child is a human being. Every child — regardless of his or her stage of development, circumstances of conception or their perceived disabilities — is a member of the human family with irrevocable human rights.
“Earlier this year the students of the University of Notre Dame prevented President Biden addressing graduates specifically because of his record on abortion. Abortion advocates are terrified of what might happen if university students learn the truth about abortion but that’s why it is more important now than ever to get the pro-life message into our universities.”