The Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, received this Wednesday at the Vatican the head of the Government of Andorra, Xavier Espot, and the Minister of Institutional Relations, Ladislau Baró, in a new meeting aimed at addressing the issue of the decriminalization of abortion in the Principality.
According to La Veu Lliure, the meeting continues the conversations that both parties have been holding for months to study possible solutions in light of the Andorran Executive’s intention to modify the criminal legislation without altering the singular institutional system of the Co-Principality.
Before the meeting, the Government informed the episcopal co-prince of Andorra about the holding of the meeting and the state of the negotiations carried out so far.
The Holy See and the Government continue to study possible solutions
During the meeting, the delegations analyzed the different legal formulas proposed by the Andorran Executive to address the decriminalization of abortion. Both the Holy See and the Government agreed on the advisability of continuing to deepen the existing proposals, in conversations that both parties describe as having been conducted in an atmosphere of trust and discretion.
According to reports, the Andorran executive reiterated its willingness to keep the dialogue with the Holy See open with the aim of «finding a solution that allows the reform it intends to promote to move forward without compromising the institutional stability of the Principality».
An especially sensitive issue for the Co-Principality
The decriminalization of abortion has for years been one of the main points of friction between the Andorran Government and the Holy See due to the singular institutional configuration of the country, where the Bishop of Urgell serves as co-prince alongside the President of the French Republic.
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In recent weeks, the spokesperson for the Andorran Government, Guillem Casal, acknowledged that the recent statements by Pope Leo XIV in defense of life were fully consistent with the permanent doctrine of the Church, although he reiterated that the Executive will continue to seek a legal formula that makes its legislative project compatible with the constitutional framework of the Principality.
Invitation to Leo XIV
During his visit to the Vatican, Xavier Espot also took the opportunity to extend an official invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit Andorra.
For the moment, conversations between the Holy See and the Andorran Government remain open and no agreement has been announced on a possible reform of the current legislation.