English and Welsh Catholic bishops expressed relief after members of the House of Commons withdrew proposals to legalise abortion-on-demand up to birth and to make it a crime to hold a vigil or protest outside an abortion clinic.

Two amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill were withdrawn by their sponsors when it became obvious during a debate in the House of Commons that they would be defeated.

Afterward, Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster, the lead bishop for life issues of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said he was grateful to “the thousands of people who lobbied MPs and helped to prevent dangerous amendments to the bill from moving forward.”