Catholic Church Collecting Signatures for Referendum on Mexico City Bill
April 19th, 2007This is where it all begins. Now you knew this one wasn’t just going to slide on through right?
Daily Women’s Health Policy
International News | Catholic Church Collecting Signatures for Referendum on Mexico City Bill That Would Allow Abortion During First Three Months’ Gestation
[Apr 19, 2007]
The Roman Catholic Church has gathered about 32,000 of the 36,900 signatures needed to request a referendum on a Mexico City bill that would allow pregnant women to obtain a legal abortion during the first three months’ gestation, Reuters reports (Reuters, 4/17). Under current Mexican law, abortion only is permitted if the life of the pregnant woman is endangered or if the woman has been raped. Lawmakers from Mexico’s Party of the Democratic Revolution in March proposed the measure in the city’s Legislature. The party holds Mexico City’s mayorship and the majority in the city’s Legislature. The Mexico City Legislature is expected to approve the legislation, despite opposition from the church. Marcelino Hernandez, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico, recently said that if the proposed bill passes, any lawmaker who voted in favor of the measure would be excommunicated from the Catholic Church when the first abortion is performed under the law (Kaiser Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, 4/17). According to Reuters, the city’s government is under no obligation to comply with the request for a referendum, but it would “generate public pressure” and delay the vote on the bill by at least three months. Assembly head Victor Hugo Cirigo said the city government would review any petition, but he was certain the vote will occur on April 24. Church spokesperson Armando Martinez said, “In the end, the assembly is going to have the last word on this, with or without a referendum,” adding, “But the difference is that with a referendum, they would be listening to the people.” Martinez said the church soon will present its demand for the referendum to the assembly. He added that if lawmakers ignore the petition, the church will take the issue to court. The earliest a referendum could take place would be July, Reuters reports (Reuters, 4/17).
