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Nation of Andorra moves closer to decriminalizing abortion
Legislators in Andorra have passed a bill decriminalizing abortion for women, though it has not been outright legalized.
In September, Andorran Prime Minister Xavier Espot vowed to decriminalize abortion by April 2027, "whether the Holy See likes it or not."
If it is decriminalized, women who undergo abortions will face no legal penalties, though health care professionals who commit abortions can still face prison time and the loss of their medical license.
The Bishop of Urgell in Spain — Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat — is one of two co-princes of Andorra, alongside France's president, Emmanuel Macron, and may refuse to sign it.
Just one of the co-princes needs to sign the bill, however, and Macron is pro-abortion.
In September, Andorran Prime Minister Xavier Espot announced the country would decriminalize abortion by April of 2027. Andorra is a small, primarily Catholic country, located between France and Spain, and has Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat, the Bishop of Urgell, in Catalonia, Spain, as one of its two co-princes. The other co-prince is the pro-abortion French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Legislators in Andorra have reportedly been in talks on abortion with the Vatican as far back as 2019, with Cardinal Pietro Parolin reportedly one of the main negotiators on behalf of the Holy See. However, Espot's comments made it clear that Andorra is no longer willing to wait for an agreement with the Catholic Church.
“What the government must gain as a result of this dialogue is the deep conviction that whatever we do, whether the Holy See likes it or not will not jeopardize our institutional system," he said.
In a statement from the Andorran government, it was announced that the Council of Ministers approved a bill to decriminalize abortion. The bill was proposed by the Minister of Institutional Relations, Education and Universities, Ladislau Baró, and amends Article 117 of the Criminal Code. Now, a woman who consents to, requests, or assists in her own abortion “shall not be punishable.” According to the statement:
With this decision, the Government assumes a clear position: the protection of life cannot entail the criminalization of women. Faced with a particularly complex personal situation, the State's response cannot be criminal punishment, but rather support, protection and respect for the dignity of the person. This is the political and legal basis of the reform.
Physicians who commit abortions, however, would still face penalties. These include a prison sentence ranging from three months to three years, as well as the loss of their medical license for five years. The bill also explicitly keeps funding for abortions out of the Andorran Social Security Fund (CASS), so abortions will not be covered through taxpayer funding. The Vatican reportedly agreed to these terms; originally, Espot also wanted to remove punishments for abortionists and include some taxpayer funding under CASS.
The bill must still be passed by the General Council, the Andorran Parliament. Unsurprisingly, pro-abortion groups are not happy with the change and say it is not enough.
Serrano Pentinat could still refuse to sign the bill, although Macron is extremely pro-abortion, and as such, it seems that Serrano Pentinat's refusal would not stop the bill from being passed.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
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·Nation of Andorra moves closer to decriminalizing abortion
Legislators in Andorra have passed a bill decriminalizing abortion for women, though it has not been outright legalized.
In September, Andorran Prime Minister Xavier Espot vowed to decriminalize abortion by April 2027, "whether the Holy See likes it or not."
If it is decriminalized, women who undergo abortions will face no legal penalties, though health care professionals who commit abortions can still face prison time and the loss of their medical license.
The Bishop of Urgell in Spain — Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat — is one of two co-princes of Andorra, alongside France's president, Emmanuel Macron, and may refuse to sign it.
Just one of the co-princes needs to sign the bill, however, and Macron is pro-abortion.
In September, Andorran Prime Minister Xavier Espot announced the country would decriminalize abortion by April of 2027. Andorra is a small, primarily Catholic country, located between France and Spain, and has Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat, the Bishop of Urgell, in Catalonia, Spain, as one of its two co-princes. The other co-prince is the pro-abortion French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Legislators in Andorra have reportedly been in talks on abortion with the Vatican as far back as 2019, with Cardinal Pietro Parolin reportedly one of the main negotiators on behalf of the Holy See. However, Espot's comments made it clear that Andorra is no longer willing to wait for an agreement with the Catholic Church.
“What the government must gain as a result of this dialogue is the deep conviction that whatever we do, whether the Holy See likes it or not will not jeopardize our institutional system," he said.
In a statement from the Andorran government, it was announced that the Council of Ministers approved a bill to decriminalize abortion. The bill was proposed by the Minister of Institutional Relations, Education and Universities, Ladislau Baró, and amends Article 117 of the Criminal Code. Now, a woman who consents to, requests, or assists in her own abortion “shall not be punishable.” According to the statement:
With this decision, the Government assumes a clear position: the protection of life cannot entail the criminalization of women. Faced with a particularly complex personal situation, the State's response cannot be criminal punishment, but rather support, protection and respect for the dignity of the person. This is the political and legal basis of the reform.
Physicians who commit abortions, however, would still face penalties. These include a prison sentence ranging from three months to three years, as well as the loss of their medical license for five years. The bill also explicitly keeps funding for abortions out of the Andorran Social Security Fund (CASS), so abortions will not be covered through taxpayer funding. The Vatican reportedly agreed to these terms; originally, Espot also wanted to remove punishments for abortionists and include some taxpayer funding under CASS.
The bill must still be passed by the General Council, the Andorran Parliament. Unsurprisingly, pro-abortion groups are not happy with the change and say it is not enough.
Serrano Pentinat could still refuse to sign the bill, although Macron is extremely pro-abortion, and as such, it seems that Serrano Pentinat's refusal would not stop the bill from being passed.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Nancy Flanders
·Activism
Angeline Tan
·Human Rights
Cassy Cooke
·Guest Column
Rebecca Oas, Ph.D.
·Politics
Cassy Cooke
·International
Cassy Cooke
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Cassy Cooke
·Analysis
Cassy Cooke
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Cassy Cooke
·