Latin America: The Church of Chile fights divorce and the Church of Peru fights condoms in school.

On September 27 the Catholic Church in Chili launched a televised campaign against the legalization of divorce in Chili, expected in 2004. Television ads have thus been regularly shown on private channels.

These anti-divorce announcements have pleaded for matrimonial unity and are meant to establish a link between delinquency and children of divorced parents. “This is the situation of children of divorcees: lies, violence in schools and alcoholism have increased. Let’s not copy an evil example,” said Antonio Delfau, director of the Jesuit revue Mensaje. Children of divorce are more prone to drug abuse, criminality or mental problems, the Catholic Church asserts in its televised message.

But this campaign, called a “terrorist action” by some Chilean laity, has provoked a heated debate in the country. Priests have voiced their disapproval, even to the point of calling on the Church to ask pardon from the children of divorced parents who would supposedly be wounded by the campaign. For this reason, Cardinal Francisco-Javier Errazuriz, Archbishop of Santiago and President of the Latin-American Bishops Conference declared to the press on October 2: “It would be better not to run this TV spot any more”, for “these messages could have undesirable effects on children of separated parents.”

Chili is currently the only country in Europe and the Americas not to allow divorce. The two chambers of Parliament have adopted a law to legalize it. It is supposed to be effective as of January.

In Peru, the Church is campaigning against the distribution of condoms to high-school students. Cardinal Juan-Luis Cipriani raised his voice against a proposition circulating among government circles that would require the distribution of condoms to the young in an effort to fight the spread of AIDS. According to the Archbishop of Lima, it is the duty of the Church to demand that the government do not attack “the principals of the Faith with the money of the State.”