The perception of the seriousness of abortion
has grown progressively obscured, Cardinal Seán Brady said at the
introduction to a mass held today in Knock.
Cardinal Brady was the chief celebrant at mass
held in Knock Basilica this afternoon as part of a vigil for mothers and
the unborn.
“We live in a twilight sort of world where,
unfortunately, the perception of the seriousness of abortion - has grown
progressively obscured in the minds of many of our contemporaries,”
Cardinal Brady said in his introduction.
“In this Mass we pray for courage - the kind of
courage that is needed to look the truth in the eye and to call it as
it is, without yielding to self-deception or bowing to convenient
compromise, scrupulously avoiding ambiguous language which cloaks the
true horror of the situation and reduces its seriousness in public.”
In his homily, Bishop Brendan Leahy said abortion was never the solution to problems in pregnancy.
“Irish society is today faced with a serious
choice. It is very possible that an abortion regime will be introduced
into this country, thereby for the first time overturning in law the
fundamental principle of the inviolability of innocent human life,” he
said.
Bishop Leahy said that, while medical treatment
of mothers whose lives are in danger was permissible even if this
resulted in the unintended death of the child in the womb, that the
direct taking of the life of an unborn child could not be justified on
the grounds suicidal intent.
“It needs to be said that the direct taking of
the life of an unborn child cannot be justified on the grounds of
intention in the case of a mother’s threatened suicide which ought to be
treated by other means. As many psychiatrists have pointed out abortion
is not a treatment for suicidal ideation,” he said.
“Is really necessary to provide for abortion in
circumstances where evidence overwhelmingly indicates it is unnecessary
and unjustified? Are we crossing a Rubicon?
“We appeal to you to recognise that abortion
legislation concedes a basic principle of law - that innocent human life
may not be taken. There is a lesson to be learned from the experience
of other countries that started down the path of abortion legislation
with what they thought were ‘restrictive’ laws,” he said.
“Our sincerely-held conviction and passion for
life arises because the stakes are high. What might appear as a limited
step, restricted abortion, is far from limited in potential.”