Bishop Kevin Doran has accused the Government of being “incapable of principle” over the question of the right to life of the unborn.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper after Taoiseach Enda Kenny revealed he would put the question of repealing the Constitutional 8th Amendment protection for the unborn to a citizens’ convention, Bishop Doran said the move simply revealed Mr Kenny’s desire to shift a hot topic away from himself.
“I think that this Government has shown itself to be incapable of any principle in the matter of respect for life or indeed respect for family,” Bishop Doran charged. “In proposing to set up a citizens’ convention, the Taoiseach is not looking for any truth in the matter of the right to life. He is simply trying to shift a monkey off his shoulder.”
Pointing out that the Oireachtas itself is a citizen’s convention, Bishop Doran added it “would not be appropriate for Government to by-pass the Oireachtas and hand over to an unelected body the responsibility for forming policy on the protection of human life”.
Stating that his own preference on the Constitution’s protection for the unborn is “to see no change”, Bishop Doran said that should a referendum on the issue come to pass, he “would be urging Irish people of every political persuasion to firmly but politely put politicians under pressure because any society that is prepared to abort the babies of the nation isn’t deserving of the name civilised”.
The 8th Amendment has “saved thousands of lives”, Bishop Doran concluded.
Bishop Doran’s comments came just days after John Bruton, a predecessor of Mr Kenny’s as leader of the Fine Gael party, defended the 8th Amendment and said he would vote against any change in a referendum.
“I think the most basic human right of all is the right to be allowed to live,” Mr Bruton said. “I think the Constitution, as is appropriate in a country that respects human rights, respects the human rights of both born and unborn,” he added.