The Irish Catholic Bishops have released a pastoral letter encouraging a “change of narrative” about abortion as the Government seeks to further liberalise the already radical law.
They say they remain convinced that the 2018 Abortion Act will be repealed in due course and they promised “to encourage a greater political acceptance that abortion is not the solution to a crisis pregnancy”.
Regarding the recent Abortion Review, they “strongly oppose” dropping the 3-day waiting period and called on the Government to instead be “proactive in proposing alternatives to abortion, which would both support women and protect babies”.
They called attention to the Review’s controversial proposal that provision of abortion should feature as a mandatory requirement in contracts of employment, calling it a “shocking” proposal.
“Freedom of conscience is a fundamental human right and cannot simply be over-ridden in this way. We totally reject the suggestion that healthcare professionals who respect the right to life would be excluded from practicing in maternity care, or from obstetrics and gynaecology generally”.
They finished by re-iterating their belief that all human life is sacred, and pledged to “change the narrative through dialogue and by testifying, in season and out of season, to the Gospel of Life.”
https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2023/05/14/bishops-message-encourages-parishioners-to-change-the-narrative-around-abortion/