The leaders of Ireland’s main Churches have expressed their grave concern at the prospect of an almost unregulated abortion regime being imposed on Northern Ireland from Westminster.
In a joint statement released Monday, the leaders of the Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Irish Council of Churches are calling their members and congregations to pray, call for change, and to lobby their locally elected representatives.
Meanwhile, speaking at an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Drogheda, Archbishop Eamon Martin called on those gathered to consistently highlight the fundamental right to life and always speak out against attacks on innocent human life.
“It is shocking, for example, that the democratic process was so cynically manipulated in Westminster during the July holiday period to remove from law all explicit protections for unborn children in Northern Ireland up to 28 weeks in their mother’s womb,” he said.
“Today I plead with political representatives to return to Stormont before the 21 October and end this barbaric abortion legislation. The political impasse has gone on too long. I say to them: For the sake of life; for the sake of peace – make the necessary compromises and return to your posts – this is a critical moment”.
