Sr Consilio Fitzgerald, founder of the Cuan Mhuire rehabilitation and
counselling centre has spoken out against proposals to legislate for
abortion in Ireland. In “the first letter I have ever written”, the award-winning medical nun challenges the need to legislate on the grounds of suicide and calls for politicians to be afforded a conscience vote on the issue.
“Medical and psychiatric evidence does not indicate abortion as an appropriate treatment for suicidal tendencies,” Sr Consilio insists. “In my experience abortion has never proved to be the appropriate response to the threat of a suicide.”
On this, she adds: “We have helped many, many women that had abortions and had subsequently developed suicidal tendencies. Many of those women did not really understand the consequences of an abortion and the devastation it causes.”
Having founded Cuan Mhuire in 1966, Sr Consilio writes that, since then, many women who have undergone terminations have sought counselling there for the distress they have subsequently suffered.
“We will have to live with our conscience if we allow, or acquiesce, in the enactment of this legislation,” she warns. “It is for this reason that all political representatives should be free to follow their individual conscience in deciding how to vote.”