Poverty not solved by sterilization, says Bishop

The Argentinean bishop proclaimed that social justice, solidarity and concern for the common good are the path to the eradication of poverty among poor Native Americans, not tubal ligations.

BUENOS AIRES (CNA) - Bishop Juan Ruben Martinez of Posadas in Argentina said this week, "Poverty is not solved by tubal ligations or other instruments against human ecology, but rather with greater equality and social justice."

The bishop made his statements in response to a question during the recent jubilee pilgrimage to Loreto, when he was asked what to do to make poor Native Americans in Argentina "have fewer children."

In seeking out equality, Bishop Martinez continued, "the common good and hope come into play," and he emphasized the importance that is given to the poor in the final document of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American Bishops' Conference, which was held in Aparecida, Brazil.

"Solidarity," he said, springs forth from our faith in Christ and should be expressed in concrete choices and gestures, especially "in the defense of life and of the rights of the most vulnerable and excluded." The Church's charitable work with the poor is a decisive mark of the Christian life, he added.

"Selfishness and the lack of the sense of the common good are at the root of our ills. On this Sunday of Advent the Word of God exhorts us to be ready, because the Lord will come at the hour least expected. Evidently our society needs to be converted to the common good and to justice. Christian hope impels us to feel responsible for turning back the scourge of exclusion," the bishop stated.

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