BarcelonaThe Department of the Interior of the Generalitat has issued a resolution prohibiting anti-abortion groups from gathering at the doors of centers for voluntary termination of pregnancy in Catalonia, as ARA has learned. Above all, this decision is aimed at a specific association: 40 Days for Life. They are a religious organization with a 20-year history that was born in the United States and has expanded throughout the world. Spain is no exception and in recent days they frequented the doors of these medical centers and, according to government sources, scolded the women who went there. They were not mass gatherings, but they lasted for hours and hours, to the point that sometimes they spent the night there doing shifts. The campaign started on February 14 and is scheduled to end on March 24, coinciding with the Lent period. In total, it is 40 days. Its activity has accelerated since the approval of the new abortion law now a year ago.
Interior sources admit that this situation created a conflict of rights. Finally, this Saturday the general direction of the Security Administration, which depends on the Ministry of the Interior, approved a justified resolution prohibiting the demonstrators from standing at the doors of the centers in order to guarantee the privacy of the women there they came This resolution has already been communicated to the religious association. Now, these demonstrations will have to be held at a reasonable distance from the centers. Specifically, according to sources consulted by the ARA, they will not be able to have visual contact with the patients, and the concentration, as well as their banners and posters, will not be visible from the entrances to the health spaces. Nor should it be possible to hear their proclamations from inside the centres.
In recent days there have been attempts at mediation with this religious entity. All, however, have been unsuccessful. They always shielded themselves in the fact that they were praying and asked the authorities to respect their religious freedom. Finally, in a pioneering resolution in this field, they have been banned from being there and priority has been given to the right to privacy of women who go to the centers for abortions.
Three points from Barcelona
Right now, 40 Dies per la Vida had active rallies in three centers for voluntary termination of pregnancy in Barcelona, one on Carrer d’Anglí, in the district of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi; another on Carrer Aragó, in the Eixample district, and the last one on Carrer de Dalmases, again in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi. On paper, all three will last until March 24. According to its website, more than 800 volunteers are expected to take part in these actions taking turns to spend the night there. Outside Catalonia they also have 24 active demonstrations in the main cities of Spain.
From now on, therefore, they will not be able to approach the health centers, and if they do not comply, the participants will be identified by the Mossos d’Esquadra. The manifestations of this religious entity were being communicated to the Department of the Interior, following the protocol provided for in this area. In the last communication, however, the ministry led by Joan Ignasi Elena has responded with this prohibition and the new instructions that they will have to respect.
“World Campaign”
40 Days for Life is defined as a “40-day global campaign aimed at ending abortion at the local level through prayer, fasting, community awareness and a peaceful, daily and constant vigil before the abortions”. Its name refers to the days, coinciding with Lent, that its protests last, but it is not a number chosen at random, but has a strong religious component due to its presence in the Bible: Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, Jesus also spent 40 days in the desert and Noah’s ark was sailing for 40 days, the time that the universal flood lasted.
2024-02-19 07:45:57
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