The Catholic bishops of Ireland
stress once again the importance of continuing to provide a health care
service in Ireland which ensures complete respect for the sacredness of
the life both of the mother and her unborn baby.
The bishops express
their appreciation of the work carried out day by day in this ethos by
doctors, nurses, midwives and other health personnel. Through Cura, the
Church’s crisis pregnancy agency, help is available to any woman facing a
crisis pregnancy.
The Heads of the Protection of Life during
Pregnancy Bill 2013 published by the Government on Wednesday would, if
approved, make the direct and intentional killing of unborn children
lawful in Ireland. The Bill as outlined represents a dramatic and
morally unacceptable change to Irish law and is unnecessary to ensure
that women receive the life-saving treatment they need during pregnancy.
The Gospel of Life is at the heart of the
message of Jesus; the deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human
being of life is always morally wrong. We uphold the right to life as
the foundation of every other human right. We encourage a deeper
understanding of the inviolability of the right to life of both a mother
and her unborn child, in all circumstances.
Accordingly, at this
crucial time, it is essential that all who share these beliefs make them
clear to their legislators.
The Bill also appears to impose a duty on
Catholic hospitals to provide abortions. This would be totally
unacceptable and has serious implications for the existing legal and
Constitutional arrangements that respect the legitimate autonomy and
religious ethos of faith-based institutions. It would also pose serious
difficulties for the conscientious beliefs of many citizens.
Abortion, in the sense of directly killing the
unborn child, is never a remedy for suicidal ideation and therefore
should never be cited as a justification for the direct killing of an
innocent human being. It is a tragic moment for Irish society when we
regard the deliberate destruction of a completely innocent person as an
acceptable response to the threat of the preventable death of another
person.
We invite all who cherish human life to support the Vigil for Life which is taking place in Knock
tomorrow - see below. We encourage everyone who can attend the Vigil to
do so or to join in prayer with us. Cherish both mother and baby!
Choose life!
Special national Vigil of Prayer for Mothers and their Unborn Babies to take place in Knock
· Mass in the Basilica will be live streamed on www.knock-shrine.ie
Tomorrow Saturday 4 May will see a national
Vigil of Prayer for Mothers and their Unborn Babies taking place at Our
Lady’s Shrine in Knock, Co Mayo.
The theme of this Vigil will be ‘Choose Life: We Cherish Them Both’ and
it is supported by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
This special liturgical event will begin at
1:00pm with a Rosary Procession and will conclude with Mass in the
Basilica at 3.00pm. The main celebrant for the Mass will be Cardinal
Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and the
homilist will be Bishop Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick. A blessing for expectant mothers who are present will be given during the Mass.