A small leftist party filed a complaint Wednesday against Mexico´s most prominent cleric and the spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico City, accusing them of violating a constitutional ban on political activity by religious groups.Roman Catholic Cardinal Norberto Rivera and Rev. Hugo Valdemar, spokesman for the archdiocese, have spoken out regularly and participated in marches against proposals to legalize abortion.
The Social-Democratic and Rural Alternative Party (PASC) filed the complaint with the Interior Secretariat, asking that authorities fine the religious leaders for violating the separation of church and state.
One abortion bill was proposed by the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), which holds a majority in the local assembly in Mexico City - a federal district with its own legislature - and party legislators are confident it will pass this month.
PRD lawmakers also sent a bill to the federal Congress to legalize abortion nationwide, but the bill is expected to face a tougher test there, where President Calderón´s conservative National Action Party is the biggest force.
The Social- Democratic Party backs the bill.
Church officials could not be reached for comment.
