SW News: Catholics in the West African nation of Benin have voiced their opposition against the decriminalization of abortion in the country. In a recent statement, the Benin Catholic Bishops' Conference reiterated Church teaching that all life is valuable from conception until natural death.

The president of the bishops’ conference Monsignor Victor Agbanou said that the law passed by the Parliament on October 20 is opposed to Catholic teaching that emphasizes the sanctity of life. Bishop Agbanou said, "As a Church, we cannot remain silent when people and institutions fail to respect human life. We need to protect the life of the unborn. Terminating a pregnancy is committing murder."

The prelate appealed to the people of Benin to respect and protect human life as they are sacred and a precious gift from God. The new law allows abortion up to 12 weeks if it is likely to intensify a woman's material, educational, professional, or moral anguish.

All the Catholic bishops had appealed to lawmakers not to pass the abortion law. In an earlier statement, bishops challenged them to say "a categorical NO to the culture of death." Catholics comprise about 23 percent out of 12 million people in the country.