” “With reference to the referendum on the decriminalisation of abortion, due to take place in Portugal on 11th February, the archbishop of Lisbon, José Policarpo da Cruz, sent an open letter to the parish priests and the Christian communities of the Patriarchate, in which he insists that the doctrine of the Church on life, inviolable since its first conception, "binds the consciences of all Catholics. To be faithful to the Church, they must not take any public position against its magisterium". In addition, he invited the priests, during the liturgical gatherings, to just present the contents of such lessons, since "the liturgical celebration cannot be considered an appropriate place to refute contrary arguments and analyse the political and sociological factors of the abortion issue". (to be continued)” ” ” ” ” “
