My Commitment to Life, by Chile's President Piñera

President Sebastián Piñera : Apr 19, 2012
Matthew Cullinan Hoffman – LifeSiteNews.com

"Some argue that Chile will be a less modern and civilized country if it doesn't imitate what other supposedly better developed nations have done, where abortion is not only legal but widely accepted. But they are wrong. They forget that Chile has a more than one hundred year tradition of protecting fundamental rights, that we were one of the first countries in the world to establish liberty for the children of slaves and prohibit slavery. And precisely the way that a society treats its weakest members—senior citizens, the sick, the most poor, those who suffer some sort of handicap, and unborn children—says much about the level of its civilization than its material wealth, the height of its buildings, the quality of its infrastructure, or its military might." -President Piñera

The following are excerpts from President Piñera's comments published on LifeSiteNews:

I have followed with much attention the debate over abortion, following the Senate Committee on Health's approval of three bills tending to de-penalize it under certain circumstances.

Our Constitution secures the right to life for all people, and both the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Tribunal have invariably ruled that, in accordance with our legal system, the unborn child is also a person, whose life must be protected. And if that weren't enough, the Constitution itself requires the legislator to adopt the necessary measures to "protect the life of the unborn."

When in doubt it is always better to opt for life. Because even if we didn't have certainty regarding the juridical treatment that must be given to a human life in gestation, the correct and wise thing to do is to assume a humble position and opt for that which is most favorable to the protection and development of that life. When we are addressing issues that involve human life or dignity, therefore, it is better to be prudent than proceed in haste.

This is not a decision that belongs only to the mother or the parents of the unborn child. A new, unique, unrepeatable person, distinct from its parents is also involved, whose life must be defended with greater force, precisely because of its state of complete innocence and defenselessness.

As a Christian I believe that life is a gift from God. Only He has the right to give life and the right to take it away. For that reason, I support protecting life and human dignity from conception to natural death. And for the same reason, I am also against euthanasia...

I am sure that no mother who has recourse to abortion does it without a profound internal angst and most of the time is driven by a feeling of anguish and abandonment. Often behind this act is hidden desperation, vulnerability, and the lack of understanding of society, and often her family also, which makes her feel incapable or obstructed from bringing her pregnancy to a happy conclusion.

Some argue that Chile will be a less modern and civilized country if it doesn't imitate what other supposedly better developed nations have done, where abortion is not only legal but widely accepted. But they are wrong. They forget that Chile has a more than one hundred year tradition of protecting fundamental rights, that we were one of the first countries in the world to establish liberty for the children of slaves and prohibit slavery. And precisely the way that a society treats its weakest members—senior citizens, the sick, the most poor, those who suffer some sort of handicap, and unborn children—says much about the level of its civilization than its material wealth, the height of its buildings, the quality of its infrastructure, or its military might.