"In truth, we do not know whether a termination of her pregnancy would have saved Mrs Halappanavar’s life, but there certainly has been pressure – rightly – to clarify the situation legally so that should it arise again, doctors may perform an abortion. And the national conversation about introducing an abortion law in Ireland has been, in my view, thoughtful, compassionate, serious and knowledgeable."Mary ... especially when I recall past occasions when you've given such good support to the pro-life struggle ... you shock me.
Won't you re-consider your position in the light of the following?
- Pope John Paul II said in Evangelium Vitae(57):
" ... by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, and in communion with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral. This doctrine, based upon that unwritten law which man, in the light of reason, finds in his own heart (cf. Rom 2:14-15), is reaffirmed by Sacred Scripture, transmitted by the Tradition of the Church and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium.
The deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of his life is always morally evil and can never be licit either as an end in itself or as a means to a good end. It is in fact a grave act of disobedience to the moral law, and indeed to God himself, the author and guarantor of that law; it contradicts the fundamental virtues of justice and charity."
- James Reilly, Ireland's health minister, has said:
"The legislation will be drafted in accordance with the 20-year-old Supreme Court ruling on the X case, which allows for abortion when a woman's life is in danger - including the threat of suicide."[My emphasis]
- However, there is no evidence that abortion can alleviate suicidal tendencies. In fact there is a mountain of research showing the negative effect abortion has on mental health. Women who undergo abortion are far more likely to take their on lives than those who carry their babies to term.
- Bishop of Kilmore Leo O'Reilly told RTÉ Morning Ireland this week:
"For the very first time in Ireland [the Government's plan] would inevitably lead to the most liberal kind of abortion ... This would be a radical change in the culture of life that we have had here in this country - and let's not make any mistake about it - it would be an irrevocable change, there would not be any going back."
- Enda Kenny, the Irish prime minister, claims that he must legislate in line with the Irish Supreme Court's X-case abortion judgement, but this claim is false. Contrary to what the expert group appears suggests, the ruling of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in A, B & C v Ireland (2010) only requires the Republic to provide legal clarity, not the legalisation of abortion. There is no right to abortion in the European Convention of Human Rights and the ECtHR recognised Ireland sovereignty over its own abortion laws.
- Enda Kenny, the Irish Prime Minister, has refused Fina Gael TDs a free vote on the government's abortion legislation.
How, Mary, does the government's position reflect a "national conversation" as you put it which is "thoughtful, compassionate, serious and knowledgeable"? Isn't it rather the case that the Irish government is caving in to the bullying of the international pro-abortion lobby - by, in their turn, bullying Irish parliamentarians into overturning through legislation "the clear pro-life intention of the people of Ireland as expressed in Article 40.3.3 of Ireland's constitution" as Ireland's four archbishops described the outcome of the Irish 1983 abortion referendum?
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