Portugal: clandestine abortion persistsJorge Branco, coordinator of the National Programme for reproductive health, declared in a radio interview with Radio Renascença (Rr) that “six months after the enforcement of the law on the depenalization of voluntary pregnancy interruption (Ivg), we still can’t state for sure that clandestine abortion has actually ceased”. “The number of pregnancies with complications treated by the national health service is almost null and we are veryfying the few dubious cases”. Since the enforcement of the new law past July, approximately 6thousand pregnancy interruptions were carried out. A number far beneath the estimates calculated by the health authorities, who had envisaged some 20-25 thousand abortions each year, 30% of which carried out in private clinics. Before the uncertain data issued by the General Board of Inspection of Health Activities, the national director voiced his concern over the fact that in most cases “private clinics opt for surgery, differently from what usually happens in public hospitals”. Branci also complained about “the lack of information available on the number of women who renounced pregnancy interruption during the so-called period of reflection. No survey been carried out on the motivations and on women’s social and economic situation as envisaged by the law”. In turn, Juntos pela Vida association, in a meeting with the general manager for Health, maintained that in Portuguese society “the phenomenon of clandestine abortion persists, and the question of secutiry isn’t guaranteed, since women aren’t adequately informed and assisted, not even as relates to family planning methods and contraceptives”.Austria: view SundayWien’s Catholic organizations are critical of the Sunday opening during the European soccer championship starting in June 2008. “It’s a wrong and irrational decision”: this is the view of Christa Buzzi, archdiocese President of Catholic Action (Ka). “We still hope that the mayor will follow citizens’ interests, in place of those of small influential lobbies”, it affirmed, referring to Wien’s Chamber of Commerce which presses for Sunday opening. A negative stand was equally reaffirmed by the “No-work Sunday Alliance”, a Catholic umbrella association. “Sunday opening”, states a communiquè issued by the Alliance, “is objectively unjustified and reflects the interests of very few parties”. Ms.Buzzi also mentioned data on the experience of Germany’s world championship 2006, showing that after-hours opening and on Sundays didn’t bring expected profits and resulted in a burden of expenses. Ka President also called into question the capital’s political parties, which until now haven’t opposed Sunday opening. Nonetheless, she ensured, Ka and Christian Churches will continue their commitment for work-free Sundays. “In our ever-frantic world, we need to share moments of pause, need time for social contacts and time to go together to Sunday celebrations”, she declared, expressing her belief that “many people still view Sunday as a moment for reflection”. Poland: cardinal Dziwisz, “no” to the cohabitationCardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Cracow, expressed preoccupation for marriage crisis in the pastoral letter for Lent. On recalling that “every divorce and every separation are a tragedy of wounded love”, the cardinal suggested to ask oneself the question: “to what extent are the young swearing love in front of the altar mature, from the human and Christian point of view?”. Moreover, in the message, the cardinal emphasized that lots of young people live together before marriage, and cohabitation is actually approved by parents and by the young themselves. “It is necessary to clearly state that the Christians cannot prepare themselves to the sacrament of marriage in a way which we might call pagan, and which upsets the natural order of things”, admonished Card. Dziwisz. According to the studies of the Polish Central Office of Public Opinion Survey, in spite of modern society changes, the period of Lent preserves its importance for the majority of the Polish. At that time, over 80% of Polish tries not to take part in party evenings; over 60% decides to start following the conversion path, through privations and renunciations; and one half of them promise to better themselves.
