Abortion: Changing the Narrative – A Statement of the Irish Catholic Bishops
Abortion: Changing the Narrative – A Statement of the Irish Catholic Bishops:
At Masses this weekend, dioceses will be remembering in prayer in a special way unborn children, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the referendum which repealed the equal right to life of the unborn and that of mother.
Five years on from the May 2018 referendum which removed the constitutional guarantee of the equal right to life of unborn children and their mothers, the Bishops of Ireland have issued a statement which also takes into account the recent review by Government of the abortion legislation introduced following the referendum. At that time the bishops said, “a new situation now exists in Ireland. It is essential for us as a Church, which cares passionately about the gift of life, and wants to support both mothers and their unborn children, to seek better ways of responding to this new and very challenging reality”.
Today, bishops reaffirm the deep conviction of our faith, namely, that the dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death, is a value for the whole of society, rooted in reason as well as in faith. No matter what legislation is passed, the fundamental right to life for all human beings at every stage of development still prevails. The bishops remain convinced that the relevant law, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 will, in due course, be repealed.
In the meantime, the Church will continue to seek loving and supportive protection for every mother and for every child in the womb, including babies diagnosed with a disability or a life-limiting condition. The bishops will continue to do their best to change the narrative through dialogue and by testifying, in season and out of season, to the Gospel of Life. How can People of Faith help? The full statement is available at the following link:
