Alphonce Shiundu
6 September 2008
Nairobi — The Catholic Church has maintained its anti-abortion stance by asking its members to reject the Reproductive Health Bill tabled in Parliament, which, if passed, would legalise abortion.
Speaking during the fifth memorial of the late Maurice Cardinal Otunga on Saturday, the Kenyan head of the Catholic Church, John Cardinal Njue told faithful that the new law goes against Catholic faith.
Saying that the late Cardinal Otunga was known for his tough stance against abortion, Cardinal Njue said that there would be no negotiation whatsoever on the clause that attempts to legalise abortion.
He termed this clause of the bill a "foreign concept" that has no place in Kenyan society.
Cardinal Njue warned that MPs risked being voted out if they passed such laws.
"Never make any law that will contradict God's commandment that prohibits killing. For goodness sake, never pass such a law," he urged MPs.
The Reproductive Health Bill has been criticised by several churches and pro-life groups for its attempt to legalise abortion.
The Church also clarified that no attempt had been made to fast-track the beatification process for the late Cardinal Otunga, and that they were in the process of initialising it.
Beatification - a declaration by the Pope confirming a person as having lived a holy life, true to the Catholic faith - begins five years after the death of the person.
The process establishes the reputation of the person and is then followed by canonisation. After canonisation, the Pope can declare the beatified person a saint.
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