On Monday, France became the first country in the world to enshrine abortion in its constitution after overwhelmingly passing the amendment.
according to christian postThe French Parliament in Versailles voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill amending Article 34 of the French Constitution by a vote of 780 to 72.
When the vote passed, there was a standing ovation inside the French parliament, and a crowd at Paris’s Place Trocadero cheered as they watched a large screen show the vote being passed.
Following the decision, the words “My body, my choice” were hung on the Eiffel Tower on Monday night.
The Eiffel Tower is currently illuminated with the expression “My Body, My Choice”. pic.twitter.com/La8ME6wAcN
— Matthew (@matthew_sede) March 4, 2024
according to YouGov poll Last month, 66 percent of respondents supported the amendment, including 76 percent of people aged 18 to 34.
France first legalized abortion in 1975, but recent reforms have made abortion up to 14 weeks a “guaranteed freedom” for French women, preventing any future French government from making sweeping changes. It will be banned. On the other hand, abortions are allowed after 14 weeks if the mother’s health is at risk or if the baby has a genetic abnormality.
French President Emmanuel Macron supports the amendments to the French constitution, which was adopted in 1958 and has since been amended approximately 20 times.
President Macron: “I am committed to making women’s freedom to have an abortion irreversible by enshrining it in the Constitution.” tweeted last week.
“I welcome the decisive step taken by the Senate after the National Assembly. We will convene the House on March 4 for a final vote,” he said.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, also supported the measure.
“We send a message to all women: your body is yours and no one has the right to control it for you,” he said in a speech ahead of the final tally. . new york times report.
Although the amendment was praised by French parliamentarians and the French people, it was condemned by the Vatican and the Bishops’ Conference of France (CEF).
“Abortion remains an attack on life and cannot be viewed solely in terms of women’s rights,” the CEF said in a statement. statement last week.
The bishops lamented the government’s failure to do more to promote the rights of women and children.
Similarly, the Pontifical Academy of Life (PAV) said“In an age of universal human rights, there can be no ‘right’ to take someone’s life.”
All governments and religious traditions must “at this stage in history take concrete steps to support peace and social justice, and take effective steps for universal access to resources, education, and society.” “We must do our best to ensure that the protection of life becomes the absolute priority in health care,” PAV added.
Image credit: ©Getty Images / Gary M. Prior / staff
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to Christian Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
