Puerto Rico Governor Signs Law Defining Unborn Children as Human Beings

Puerto Rico's Republican Governor Jenniffer González has enacted legislation that legally recognizes unborn children as human beings within the territory's criminal code. The new law works alongside existing statutes that classify killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child as first-degree murder.

Governor Jenniffer González of Puerto Rico has enacted new legislation that legally defines unborn children as human beings within the territory’s criminal justice system. The Republican governor, who supports President Trump, explained that “the legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being.”

This new provision has been incorporated into Puerto Rico’s Penal Code as part of the murder definition section. Officials state that this change works in conjunction with existing legislation that already treats the intentional killing of a pregnant woman – resulting in the death of her unborn child at any point during pregnancy – as a first-degree murder offense.

In other religious freedom news, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback recently warned Congress about escalating global persecution of religious communities. During his testimony before a congressional panel this month, Brownback identified China as the driving force behind worldwide religious oppression, citing Beijing’s distribution of surveillance equipment to authoritarian leaders across Asia and Africa who deploy these tools to suppress religious practices.

“There’s an alliance of nations that sees religious freedom as the greatest internal threat to their dictatorial control,” Brownback stated. “The community of faith has become the target of this dark alliance and China is the puppet master behind all of it.”

A recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute reveals varying levels of support among religious groups for legislation prohibiting gender transition procedures for minors. White Evangelical Protestants showed the strongest backing for such restrictions at 67 percent, while support decreased among other denominations: White Mainline Protestants at 51 percent, White Catholics at 50 percent, and Black Protestants at 44 percent.

Meanwhile, in Italy, a centuries-old religious artifact has found temporary new quarters after restoration. The Bearded Saint with Book, a 15th-century sculpture previously displayed at Milan’s famous Duomo cathedral, is now housed at FNM, an Italian transportation company. The relocation occurred through the cathedral’s “Adopt a Statue” initiative, established in 2020 by the historic organization responsible for the cathedral’s preservation. This program allows donors to fund statue restoration in exchange for loan agreements permitting occasional display away from the Duomo, typically starting with one-year terms that may be extended.