A long way from the Vatican: Catholic attitudes towards reproductive rights church-state and related issues in Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico: Catholics for a free choice and Catolicas por el Derecho a Decidir.NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, Catholics differ on the role of the church in certain aspects of their lives. However, one point all Catholics tend to agree on is the fact that the Vatican does not wholly represent the beliefs of the 1 billion Catholics it oversees, particularly when it comes to matters of reproductive rights Reproductive rights or procreative liberty is what supporters view as human rights in areas of sexual reproduction. Advocates of reproductive rights support the right to control one's reproductive functions, such as the rights to reproduce (such as opposition to forced . For example, the church is unyielding regarding its stance against modern forms of contraception. Still, many Catholics around the world are using contraception, and Catholics in Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. are no exception.Catholics for a Free Choice Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) is a pro-choice political organization whose founders hold the belief that "the Catholic tradition supports a woman's moral and legal right to follow her conscience in matters of sexuality and reproductive health. and its partner organizations Catolicas pot el Derecho De`re´cho n. 1. A straight wind without apparent cyclonic tendency, usually accompanied with rain and often destructive, common in the prairie regions of the United States. a Decidir jointly commissioned three companion surveys in Mexico, Bolivia and Colombia in the latter half of 2003 to explore Catholics' attitudes towards reproductive rights, the role of the Catholic church in reproductive rights issues and in political life, and related issues. Catholics comprise 95% of the population in Bolivia, 90% in Colombia and 89% in Mexico. The following are some examples of key reproductive rights issues that exemplify ex·em·pli·fy tr.v. ex·em·pli·fied, ex·em·pli·fy·ing, ex·em·pli·fies 1. a. To illustrate by example: exemplify an argument. b. the disconnect disconnect - SCSI reconnect between the Vatican and followers followers see dairy herd. of the Catholic faith in Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico. Ordering information for the full report is at the end of this summary. ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION Ninety-one percent of Catholics in Colombia and Mexico believe adults should have access to contraception, in eluding e·lude tr.v. e·lud·ed, e·lud·ing, e·ludes 1. To evade or escape from, as by daring, cleverness, or skill: The suspect continues to elude the police. 2. condoms ,and the birth control pill birth control pill n. See oral contraceptive. birth control pill Oral contraceptive, see there ; 79% of Catholics in Bolivia agree. These same Catholics believe public health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract , including hospitals and health centers, should provide free contraception; 96% of Catholics in Mexico feel this way, while 91% of Catholics in Bolivia and Colombia hold this belief as well. CHURCH DOCTRINE AND OPINIONS OF CATHOLICS WHO USE BIRTH CONTROL Church doctrine forbids the use of any contraceptive methods Noun 1. contraceptive method - birth control by the use of devices (diaphragm or intrauterine device or condom) or drugs or surgery contraception birth control, birth prevention, family planning - limiting the number of children born , with the exception of celibacy celibacy (sĕl`ĭbəsē), voluntary refusal to enter the married state, with abstinence from sexual activity. It is one of the typically Christian forms of asceticism. and periodic abstinence abstinence: see fasting; temperance movements. . However, 87% of Catholics in Colombia believe that a person can use contraceptives and still be a good Catholic, while 84% of those in Mexico and 81% of Catholics in Bolivia share this view. More than 85% in all three countries think that adolescents should be taught about all methods of contraception in schools. VIEWS ON ABORTION A significant number of Catholics in these three countries believe abortions should be allowed in some or all circumstances. Sixty percent of those in Mexico feel this way, while 56% of those in Bolivia, and 49% of those in Colombia share this belief. WHO SHOULD DECIDE? In instances where abortion is a consideration, 62% of Bolivian Catholics, 55% of Mexican Catholics and 48% of Colombian Catholics believe the ultimate decision to have an abortion lies with the couple, and not the church. A WOMAN CAN STILL BE A GOOD CATHOLIC AFTER HAVING AN ABORTION OR WHILE SUPPORTING SOMEONE WHO DOES Many Latin American Catholics believe it is possible to be a good Catholic even after having an abortion. In Mexico, 53% of residents hold this view; in Bolivia, those in agreement total 50%, while 37% of those in Colombia feel this way. These same individuals also believe it is possible to be a good Catholic if one supports a woman who has had an abortion; 55% of those in Mexico agree with this, while 50% of Catholics in Bolivia and 39% of those in Colombia agree. A WOMAN SHOULD NOT BE EXPELLED FROM THE CHURCH FOR HAVING AN ABORTION Mexican Catholics, at 81%, are most op posed to the expulsion EXPULSION. The act of depriving a member of a body politic, corporate, or of a society, of his right of membership therein, by the vote of such body or society, for some violation of hi's. of a woman from the church because she has had an abortion. Seventy-four percent of Bolivian Catholics feel this way, and 67% of Colombian Catholics, while more conservative in their views, also believe that a woman who has had an abortion should be allowed to remain in the church. PUBLIC HOSPITALS SHOULD ATTEND TO WOMEN WITH POST-ABORTION HEALTH PROBLEMS An overwhelming number of Catholics in the three countries believe public hospitals should provide care to women who experience post-abortion related health issues. Ninety-three percent of Catholics in Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico hold this view. HEALTH CENTERS AND PUBLIC HOSPITALS SHOULD OFFER EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION Emergency Contraception Definition Emergency contraception or emergency birth control uses either emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) or a Copper-T intrauterine device (IUD) to help prevent pregnancy following unprotected vaginal intercourse. Eighty-eight percent of Catholics in Mexico, 84% of Catholics in Bolivia and 82% of Catholics in Colombia think health centers and public hospitals should offer emergency contraception (EC) to rape victims. In cases of unprotected sex Unprotected sex refers to any act of sexual intercourse in which the participants use no form of barrier contraception. Sexually transmitted infections Specifically, unprotected sex , 77% of Mexican Catholics think these Facilities should offer EC to women, while 65% of Catholics in Colombia and 58% of Catholics in Bolivia believe EC should be available in such instances. CATHOLICS DO NOT RELY ON CHURCH OFFICIALS FOR VOTING ADVICE When it comes to politics, Catholics in Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico do not make political decisions based on the views of the church. In Mexico, only 19% of Catholics polled said the opinion of their priest was important to them when deciding whom to vote for; in Colombia, just 22% said their priest's opinion mattered; and in Bolivia, only 30% feel this way. MASS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR POLITICS A significant majority of Catholics in these Latin American countries List of American countries Nations:
hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" the church using mass to promote or disqualify To deprive of eligibility or render unfit; to disable or incapacitate. To be disqualified is to be stripped of legal capacity. A wife would be disqualified as a juror in her husband's trial for murder due to the nature of their relationship. political candidates or parties. Ninety-two percent of Mexican Catholics disagree with this practice, while 84% of Colombian and 77% of Bolivian Catholics also oppose it. As these statistics clearly demonstrate, the attitudes of many Catholics regarding the church's role in reproductive rights and politics are moving toward a more progressive stance, even though the Vatican refuses to accept this shift. Based on the findings of these polls, it is clear that the beliefs of Catholics in Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico, more often than not, take a different direction than those of church officials. When and if the Vatican ever decides to acknowledge this point, it will see that Catholics all over the world have already moved in this direction.
Access to contraception
Q3. Now I am going to read you a list of statements. For each one tell
me if you agree or disagree (% saying agree)
Bolivia Colombia Mexico
Adults should have access to
contraceptives, including the
pill, injectable contraceptives,
the IUD and condoms 79% 91% 91%
Public health services, including
hospitals and health centers, should
provide free contraception 91% 94% 96%
The government should promote the use
of condoms to fight the AIDS virus 95% 96% 96%
Who should make the decision to have an abortion?
Q10. In the case of an unwanted pregnancy, who should principally
make the decision to have an abortion?
Bolivia Colombia Mexico
The woman 17% 22% 33%
The husband or
partner 2% 3% 5%
Both of them
together * 62% 48% 55%
* MX--the woman
and her partner
The doctors 2% 3% 4%
The Catholic church 2% * 2%
None of them 15% 21% 1%
Catholic church urging support
or opposition to candidates
during Mass
Q22. Do you agree or disagree with the
Catholic church using Mass to promote or
disqualify * certain candidates or political
parties?
* CO--to speak well or poorly of
Agree Disagree
Bolivia 23% 77%
Colombia 15% 84%
Mexico 8% 92%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
Notes on Methodology Local companies executed the studies of the Catholic population in each of the three countries in both urban and rural areas. Estadistica Aplicada interviewed 2,328 Catholics in Mexico between June 15 and July 13; Encuestas y Estudios interviewed 1,500 Catholics in Bolivia between July 28 and August 28; and Napoleon Franco y Cia S.A. interviewed 1,523 Catholics in Colombia between August 21 to September 2, 2003. The Population Council cosponsored the Mexican component, collaborated on the design, and oversaw o·ver·saw v. Past tense of oversee. the implementation of the project. Belden Russonello & Stewart advised on the development of similar questionnaires for the three countries and the design of the methods in each to enable comparisons. Ordering Information English- and Spanish-language versions of the full report are available from Catholics for a Free Choice. Each copy costs $10.00 including shipping and handling in the US. Please add $3.00 per copy ordered for overseas airmail airmail, transport of mail by airplanes. Demonstration flights that showed the feasibility of carrying mail by air were made in Great Britain and in the United States in 1911. delivery. Please send checks drawn on US funds and payable to Catholics for a Free Choice to: 1436 U Street NW, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20009, USA. You may also order copies using MasterCard or Visa by fax, +1 (202) 332-7995, or by phone +1 (202) 986-6093. You may also order these publications through our website, www.CatholicsForChoice.org. |
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