Family based on marriage, defence of life from conception until natural death, higher subdivision of work and wealth, reception of immigrants as well as a few basic principles during the next elections, which are going to take place in the country: those were the points dealt with by Cardinal Ricard, president of the French Bishops’ Conference, during the prolusion to the plenary assembly opened in Lourdes yesterday, and lasting until 30 March. The cardinal stated that "the Catholics, when taking a political decision, must be consistent with their Christian beliefs". Among them, there is the already mentioned value of the family, “the basic cell of the human community, which at present needs to be upheld more than ever before”. “We are in favour of the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, open to procreation, and of the child’s right to have a father and a mother”. The president of the French bishops abruptly rejected the “acknowledgement of a demanded right to death, which would mean legalization of euthanasia". His position on abortion was also as strong. According to Cardinal Ricard, in this field, "we went from dialogue logic to the assertion of a right which seems evident, and every time it is harder and harder to resist high pressures".
