HOLY SEE HAS NOT CHANGED ITS POSITION ON FAMILY PLANNING

VATICAN CITY, SEP 27, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls, in a declaration made public this afternoon, stated that the Holy See has never altered its well-known opposition to abortion or to family planning techniques and policies as proposed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Following are excerpts from that declaration:

"According to several reports in the media, the director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Nafis Sadik, has expressed the opinion, on the occasion of the presentation of the 1999 World Population Report in London on September 22, that the Holy See no longer opposes the techniques and policies of 'family planning' as propagated by this same U.N. agency:

"In this regard I wish to make it clear that the Holy See has not, in fact, changed its well-known position and, at the same time, (I wish) to recall several principles which were constantly affirmed by the Holy See delegations in the diverse international meetings and reunions.

"Never was (the idea of) procreation at any cost supported. Respect for the sacred meaning of the transmission of human life compels the Holy See to underline, even more than anyone else, the responsibility that must characterize the decision of parents to have or not have, at a determined moment, a child."

"As far as the following are concerned - 'contraception', 'family planning', 'reproductive rights', 'female controlled methods', 'the widest possible range of family planning services', 'new options', 'under-utilized methods', and any other expression relative to the services of family planning and fertility regulation - the Holy See's satisfaction for the consensus reached in the documents in which these (expressions) were adopted, cannot be interpreted as a change in its well known position regarding 'family planning' services which do not respect the freedom of the spouses, human dignity and the human rights of the interested parties.

"Concerning abortion and access to abortion, the Holy See affirms that human life begins at the moment of conception and that it must be defended and protected. The Holy See can never excuse abortion and policies in favor of abortion, which it considers to be a crime.
"... The Holy See has opposed introduction of the promotion of so-called 'emergency contraception', because it considers such material as an abortifacient."

"It is recognized that sexuality is an important part of personal identity. ... Nonetheless, some programs promoted by the United Nations are inspired by a vision of sexuality which does not give due consideration to the dimension of reciprocity that is constituted by the expression of mutual love. ... (and which) denotes an individualistic and permissive approach to sexual behavior which damages proper understanding of human dignity, and of the moral responsibility of each individual."

"The Catholic Church is concerned for the life and health of all human beings. She is convinced of the sacredness of human life which has innate dignity and rights. Consequently, she sides with all those who combat the true causes of mortality: poverty and ignorance."

"The Church contributes, within the limits of her nature and capabilities, to education and health throughout the world, especially in those places where, without her presence, people would have no services whatsoever."

OP;FAMILY PLANNING;...;NAVARRO-VALLS; SADIK;VIS;19990927;Word: 540