Irish bishops oppose new abortion bill

Dublin, 07 May 2013: Even as the Irish cabinet has agreed to change a controversial bill on abortion, the country’s Catholic hierarchy has voiced strong opposition to the new abortion proposals.

The bishops denounced plans for new legislation as “a dramatic and morally unacceptable change” which would make the “direct and intentional killing of unborn children lawful in Ireland”.

According to the new bill, for the first time limited legal termination will be allowed, as part of legislative changes promised after Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar death last year in the country.

The historic new bill, which will have to be passed in both houses of the Irish Parliament, will allow for limited legal termination where there is a threat to the mother's life.

The Church is restating its implacable opposition to abortion, against a majority of the public and the political classes, who support new measures to allow abortion in certain tightly-defined circumstances.

“It is a tragic moment for Irish society when we regard the deliberate destruction of a completely innocent person as an acceptable response to the threat of the preventable death of another person,” the bishops declared.

The issue, which suffered political neglect for decades, has moved to centre-stage as a result of the death of Halappanavar who was denied abortion and told that Ireland was a “Catholic country”.

In response to the church statement, Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore said that “Ireland is a democratic country and laws are made by those elected by the people”.Source: UCAN