The Catholic Church of Argentina summons a mass to protest against the decriminalization of abortion

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New controversy over abortion in Argentina 0:33

(CNN Spanish) - The Argentine Episcopal Conference convened a mass to protest against the decriminalization of abortion and after President Alberto Fernández announced that he will send a project to Congress to discuss the "termination of the criminalization of abortion."

On Tuesday, the Episcopal Conference detailed in a statement that the Mass will be held on March 8, "in celebration of International Women's Day and on the occasion of the announced legislative treatment of the project to legalize abortion." Therefore, "all bishops are invited to concelebrate at the Mass that will take place in the Basilica of Lujan" and "to ask for the protection of human life from conception to natural death."

The celebration has been convened under the “Yes to women, Yes to life”, and appears as the Church's response to the announcement of President Fernández. Since his tour of Europe, Fernandez anticipated that he will send to Congress a bill that "ends the criminalization of abortion and allows the attention of any abortion in any public center."

The announcement of the Argentine president, made at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, came a few days after he met in a private audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican.

The Argentine Government confirmed that this initiative will be included in the official speech that Fernández will give on March 1 when the regular session is opened in the Legislative Assembly and that it will be accompanied by another initiative, called the “1000 Day Plan ”And that it will pursue the objective of guaranteeing the mother’s diet from pregnancy until the baby reaches 2 years old.

Finally, on the rejection evidenced by the Church before the future legislative discussion on the decriminalization of abortion, Santiago Cafiero, head of Cabinet, said: “We understand that Argentina has diverse voices. Sometimes, you have to make decisions with which, out there, some Argentines may feel offended. But, what we are looking for is an understanding. ”

Abortion