Mumbai (AsiaNews) – The idea of a global moratorium against abortion, following the one approved by the UN against the death penalty, was the brainchild of an Italian journalist, Giuliano Ferrara, director of the daily newspaper “Foglio”, and saw AsiaNews  among the first to come on board (see.  Partial victory against death penalty of 19/12/2007).

Card. Raffaele Martino, president of Justice and peace,  immediately declared that after the death penalty, abortion had to be dealt with, where “millions and millions of murders of innocent beings, unborn children” takes (ref:. Osservatore Romano, 20 December 2007).

Italy’s Church leaders also gave their support to the campaign among them  card. Camillo Ruini, vicar for the diocese of Rome, who in an interview on Canale 5 TV, on December 31last declared: "I think that after the happy outcome regarding the death penalty that logically the theme of abortion follow and that we ask for a moratorium, or at least stimulate, and reawaken people’s consciences to help them realise that a child in the mothers womb is a human being and that this suppression is inevitably the suppression of a human being”.  Card. Ruini also asked for a revision of the Italian law regarding abortion, in order to “fully apply aspects in defence of life” (for example supporting pro-life centres, but also by updating it taking into account “scientific progress regarding the survival rate of premature babies.  It truly becomes inadmissible aborting a foetus at an age when they can survive alone”.  In Italy abortion is allowed right up until the 90th day of pregnancy; after the 90th day only if the life of the mother is at risk, or if anomalies or malformations  are noticed which endanger the “mental health” of the women.  

In fact, this has opened the road to veritable eugenetics, eliminating malformed foetuses in any case, even though science permits them to have an autonomous life from the 23 week.

Card. Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian bishops conference in an interview with  Corriere della Sera (4 January 2008) spoke in favour of the moratorium against abortion, defining the initiative as” praiseworthy because it recalls states to their responsibility to protect and promote human life”.

Meanwhile, the campaign for the moratorium in favour of the unborn child and against the eugenetic practises of States,  is finding support in both the catholic and secular world.  e chiaro all’intenzione degli Stati sulla protezione e la promozione della vita umana”.

The director of Foglio hopes that all of this will generate a movement that will organise a demonstration of “5 million pilgrims” to Rome next summer and to push for a insertion in the Universal Declaration of Human rights “the right to be born”.

I wholeheartedly welcome and support a moratorium on abortion. It is an utmost necessity that the international community is sensitized to creating and building a culture of life.  Abortion is a horrendous evil and abortion has become preeminent threats to human dignity because it directly attacks life itself.  It must be noted that abortion is a crime committed against those who are weakest and most defenceless, those who are genuinely "the poorest of the poor”.

With reference to he United Nations moratorium on the death penalty this is totally welcome, we need to promote a culture of life.  With the death penalty  innocent people may be killed, there is no possibility of repentance, no possibility of reform, the Church in India has always been against he death penalty.

Abortion is the death of true freedom, to claim the right to abortion or claim the right to be pro-choice, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. this culture of abortion unfortunately is being created all over the world. They allow it legally in the sense they allow it meaning no punishment is given for those who commit abortions. People then presume that this is morally and ethically correct which is not true. It is the taking of life. How many millions are just being killed because of this whole culture! Once again I reiterate, that I whole heartedly welcome a moratorium on abortion, and each person must begin with a commitment never to intentionally kill, or collude in the killing, of any innocent human life, no matter how broken, unformed, disabled or desperate that life may seem. Abortion is never a morally tolerable option and is radically incompatible with the love of God and the dignity of the human person created in His image. It is always a grave act of violence against a woman and her unborn child.

Killing a child in its mothers womb is killing a person.

In India often selective abortion is carried out against female children.  And this happens not just in India, but in many other parts of the world.  

Through the various social, educational and medical ministry, the Church in India has for decades, been promoting a wider and more profound consciousness of the value of life.

I hope that this campaign for a culture of life spreads through India and the entire world.