By Ayodele Oni
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has suggested education of the citizens on reproductive health as it rose against alleged move by the Federal Government to decriminalize abortion in the country.
Standing on the religious sanctity for human life, the Church vehemently condemned the Federal Government’s move to legalize abortion, sparking a heated debate over the importance of human life.
The Church’s stand follows reports suggesting that the Health Promotion Department of the Federal Ministry of Health is reviewing sections of the Criminal Code with the aim of decriminalising abortion.
The proposal is reportedly intended to increase access to safe pregnancy terminations and reduce maternal mortality rates.
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has however formally expressed its opposition through a statement signed by the Secretary General, Very Rev. Fr. Zacharia Nyantiso Samjumi.
The statement maintained that legalizing abortion would be in direct violation of Nigeria’s Constitution, which guarantees the right to life citing Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution, which asserts that every individual has a right to life and must not be intentionally deprived of it.
The Catholic Church argued that the government should prioritise educating citizens on reproductive health and the inherent dignity of human life rather than endorsing abortion.
They further noted that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has long advocated for the protection of human life through various communiqués, teachings, and ecclesiastical documents.
The Catholic Secretariat urged Nigerians to stand against any move to legalize abortion, underscoring the sacred value and respect owed to every human being.
“Rather than expanding access to safe termination of pregnancy by destroying life, the government should amplify its efforts towards educating the people on the imperatives of the values and dignity of the human person.
“Rather than enthrone the culture of death through the legalization of abortion, the government should place a premium on the sacred dignity and love that should be accorded to the human person, which is guaranteed by natural law and divine commandments and affirmed in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is safer to have human dignity included in the curriculum than to work against it in the name of providing access, shrouded in the garb of human freedom. The more we know and value the dignity of the other person, the more society will seamlessly live in peace and harmony.
“The Catholic Church and all ethically-minded people oppose all forms of abortion procedures whose direct purpose is to terminate the life of a baby in the womb.
“The unborn child has the right to live and be protected and not to be killed by the fiat of an unjust law. We believe strongly that every human life must be respected and protected, especially the most vulnerable ones in the womb from the moment of their conception
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