The march was organized after the territory's Governor Pedro Pierluisi issued an executive order implementing an updated version of the "Gender Perspective curriculum" in public schools.

The curriculum was created by the administration of former governor Alejandro García Padilla. The people of Puerto Rico stopped its implementation through public marches in 2015.

Mario Rosario, the president of the Pro Life and Family Coalition, who organized the march, said that there was "spectacular unity between Protestants, Catholics and non-religious people embracing the family and childhood."

"We're happy because we believe that the goal was achieved. Our voice was heard so that the word 'gender' is eliminated from any educational proposal for our children. And from any political effort they would try to implement," he added.

The pro-family leader said that 25,000 to 30,000 people had come to participate in the two-hour-long demonstration.

Following speeches by religious and lay leaders, the protesters walked peacefully to La Fortaleza, the governor's residence.

One of the speakers, Dr Angie González, the spokeswoman for Women for Puerto Rico, said, "today's march was the expression of an outraged people at the dictatorial government of Governor Pedro Pierluisi."

"In Puerto Rico in the past decade, the governors have assumed a totalitarian style of governance. Today's march represents the uprising of a people that's not willing to allow their rights to be violated. Above all, it shows the commitment of thousands of parents and grandparents that we are not going to hand over our children to gender ideology," she said.

"The teaching of gender ideology violates our constitution, violates parental rights and affects the psychosexual development of children," she added.

She said the same day of the march, they turned in "the more than 129,000 signatures collected in the past five weeks opposing the teaching of gender ideology in the country's public schools."

However, she was disappointed Governor Pierluisi did not attend to hear the complaints. Instead, he sent an aide to the Secretary of the Interior.

"The Pro Life and Family Coalition members gave our proposals to the aide who received us. We asked him to communicate to the governor that we want to personally meet with him," González said.

For González the march had a significant effect.

"First of all, it shows our leaders how numerous the people with values are and how much they oppose the imposition of gender ideology. Secondly, it lets the people see how the press has sold out to this ideology and is determined to impose a news blackout on our demands because there wasn't a single secular media reporting on the march. Thirdly, the march has increased public awareness that people are mobilizing to participate in this fight," she noted.

González also said "if our claims are not addressed, we will continue with the other strategies that we are developing."

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Ondequando

Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan has not confirmed that he has been asked to step down as leader of the Catholic Church in the United States island territory.

But, after local Catholics held a rally of support for him, he asked them instead to pray for him.

The Vatican has apparently accused Archbishop Gonzalez Nieves of several offences, including protecting paedophile priests, abusing his power, and promoting Puerto Rican independence from the US.

A Puerto Rican radio station has released the leaked text of a letter from the archbishop to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops.

In it the archbishop said he will not willingly step down. He denied the accuracy of complaints against him, saying he was profoundly offended and hurt by the gravity of the accusations, and asked for evidence to back them up.

"It caused me great dismay, first, because they were false and distorted, and second, because it seemed that my guilt was prejudged," he said. "In fact, it's not clear if these accusations are final and if so, what investigation prompted them."

Supporters of Archbishop Gonzalez charge that the charges against him are politically motivated and have accused a cardinal and a former Puerto Rican governor of being behind the allegations.

He has also been defended by non-Catholics. Church of God Bishop Naphtali Rodriguez Marrero of San Juan called him an "extraordinary" pastoral leader, and addded that he, too, blames "political and religious opponents who do not share his views".

Archbishop Gonzalez Nieves, who was born in the US, is aged 62 — 13 years below the normal retirement age for bishops.

Sources:

Associated Press

NewsMax

Image: Abyssum