Ahead of Monday’s vote, the bishop of Versailles, Luc Crepy, joined the Bishops’ Conference of France in expressing his “sadness” and “deep opposition to this development.”
The French prelate repeated the call for respect for life “from its conception to its natural death,” which, he added, “should be recognized as part of the common foundation on which our society is based.”
“I want to encourage the parliamentarians gathered in Versailles … to resist any media or political pressure, to vote conscientiously and with seriousness, and to show courage as some — whom I thank — have already done,” the bishop continued in his March 2 statement.
France has a bicameral legislature composed of a lower house, the National Assembly, and the upper house, the Senate. In January, the National Assembly voted to introduce the constitutional amendment on “the freedom of women to have recourse to an abortion, which is guaranteed. ” The Senate voted for a similar measure on March 1.
On Monday, March 4, a joint session of Parliament passed the bill 780-72, which was followed by a drawn-out standing ovation.
Later that evening the Eiffel Tower was illuminated with the words “my body, my choice” as jubilant onlookers celebrated, a scene that was repeated all over the country.
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