Ireland parliament to vote on abortion bill

(Vatican Radio) Around 500 people gathered in Saint John’s Cathedral in Limerick, Ireland on Tuesday evening for a prayer vigil ahead of Wednesday’s parliamentary vote on a bill which could lead to the legalization of abortion in the country. Parliamentary members will have 12 hours for discussion before their mandatory vote at 10pm Wednesday evening. If the new legislation is passed, unborn children in Ireland could be aborted in cases where the pregnant mother exhibits suicidal tendencies.

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: