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  • Title: [Population. It is necessary to know how to act].
    Journal: Profamilia; 1994 Jun; 11(23):80-4. PubMed ID: 12288163.
    Abstract:
    This work constitutes a critique of the influence exerted by the Vatican on preparations for the International Conference on Population and Development to be held in Cairo in September 1994. It argues for the need to distinguish between the pastoral works of the Holy See, which are its mission, and attempts to exert political influence through moral authority. The Vatican has sought to influence the workings of successive World Population Conferences beginning in 1974, when it stated that "...any policy favoring contraception, sterilization, or abortion is a loss of respect for the dignity of the life of each married person and should be clearly excluded". In a March 1994 meeting with the president of the UN Population and Development Fund, the Pope severely criticized the draft of the final document for the Cairo Conference. During the meeting, the Pope stated that "...contraception is immoral, voluntary sterilization is unacceptable, and population policies should not be formulated in terms of the rights of women." The Vatican objected to implicit or explicit approval of abortion, to the concept of reproductive rights, and to implications that family planning and contraception are synonymous terms, because that would not distinguish natural family planning. The Vatican called upon delegations especially of "Catholic" countries such as those of Latin America to revise their positions or to remove their signatures from the draft document, and to join a block attempting to dictate ethical norms, irrespective of the beliefs of the rest of the world. In this attempt it used procedures that failed to respect the minimal norms of diplomatic ethics, using moral manipulations. This intervention of the Vatican into the internal affairs of other states is impermissible, since the Vatican is the only observer with a voice and vote capable of exercising this type of influence. The Vatican is a society of celibate men without families, which has succeeded in appropriating for itself the right of interpreting the relationships and destinies of families according to its own definitions. Several Latin American countries have pledged their support to the Vatican positions and have acted as spokesmen. Other Latin American countries have maintained their positions and withstood pressures. It is necessary to provide support to delegations and to take measures to reinforce their commitment to respect reproductive and sexual rights and the needs of women and children in Latin America.
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