A cadre of 19 legislators from eight political parties in Costa Rica have signed a request for Papal intervention against the potential legalization of abortion.

The request was announced earlier this week during an ordinary session of the Legislative Assembly; of the eight parties that signed the petition, seven are well-established in Costa Rica, only Restauración Nacional (National Revitalization) is a newcomer.

The petition is addressed to Pope Francis, and it features a preamble that alludes to the Vatican’s longstanding position against abortion. The legislators specifically call on Pope Francis to talk with President Luis Guillermo Solis and recommend opposition to any legislative proposal that may seek legalization of abortion.

It so happens that President Solis is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis on May 27th. The President is currently on an official tour of the United States, where he has visited numerous times this administration, and of Europe.

The letter will be presented to Pope Francis by Legislator Paulina Ramirez of the powerhouse National Liberation Party (Spanish initials: PLN). It is interesting to note that two legislators from the Citizen Action Party (PAC) signed the letter; this gesture is one of many that the PAC has shown against President Solis during his term. Although there is no standing rule in Costa Rica that suggests the ruling party should stick together, this is an unspoken political convention that has been largely absent this administration. PAC leaders have openly expressed their unhappiness with President Solis, a man who was once a key figure within the PAC.

One concern among the legislators who signed the petition is that a technical commission has been convened to investigate emergency abortions and other pregnancy terminations performed for the health benefit of the expecting patient.

Medical abortions are not elective in Costa Rica, a Catholic nation by virtue of her Constitution. The legislators fear that a loosely drafted directive may open the door for legalizing elective abortions in the future, which explains the aforementioned petition.

Source: Radio Nacional