Ireland abortion bill vote delayed

(Vatican Radio) Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Wednesday night acceded to lawmakers' demands for an extended round-the-clock debate of a bill that would allow abortions in Ireland for the first time.

His concession meant that the vote, long scheduled for Wednesday night, was pushed into the early hours of Thursday as lawmakers debated 165 potential amendments. The government has rejected all of them.

One of the bills most controversial features would allow women to abort their child in cases where the pregnant mother exhibits suicidal tendencies.

But Bernadette Goulding, the executive director of Rachel’s Vineyard in Ireland, a non-profit organization which aims to offer healing to post-abortive mothers, says abortion would harm women, rather than help them:

Executive director of Rachel’s Vineyard in Ireland, Bernadette Goulding, works with post-abortive mothers, many of whom exhibit suicidal tendencies as a result of their abortion. A post-abortive mother herself, she told Vatican Radio that abortion is not treatment for pregnant women with suicidal tendencies.

“I can see it in my work with women,” she said. “Many women have come to me through Rachel’s Vineyard who have been raped and had abortions, and these women are totally distraught. And these women are grieving for their lost children, and really regretting their decision to abort.”

Goulding went on to say, “Suicide is not a reason to legalize abortion,” adding that what a woman in a crisis pregnancy needs is “information, she needs help, she needs love, she needs support.”

Rachel’s Vineyard is a non-profit organization founded in the US which aims to offer healing to post-abortive mothers through weekend retreats and other means of support.

Listen to Ann Schneible’s full interview with Bernadette Goulding: