The Catholic Bishops of Ireland say that every Irish citizen and not just people of faith should be deeply concerned about the planned abortion legislation by government.
In a statement from their June General Meeting in Maynooth, Co. Kildare the bishops say that no individual has the right to destroy life and that no State has the right to undermine the right to life.
They are calling on all public representatives to uphold the equal right to life of all human beings even if it means standing above other pressures and party loyalties.
The Bishops say that the planned legislation will, for the first time in Ireland, allow the deliberate and intentional killing of an unborn child.
"The right to life is the most fundamental of all rights; it is the foundation of all other rights. No individual has the right to destroy life and no State has the right to undermine the right to life" they say in a statement.
"Every citizen, not just people of faith, should be deeply concerned. We value the skill and efforts of our doctors, nurses and other care professionals who have helped to earn Ireland’s place as one of the safest countries in the world for mothers and their babies during pregnancy".
"Catholic Church teaching is clear: where a seriously ill pregnant woman needs medical treatment which may put the life of her baby at risk, such treatments are ethically permissible provided every effort is made to save both the mother and her baby".
"This is different from abortion, which is the direct and intentional taking of the innocent life of the unborn. No matter what legislation is passed in any country, abortion is, and always will be, gravely wrong" they add.
'People are being misled'
The Bishops say the government is under no obligation to legislate for the 'X Case', and claim that people are being misled. "We challenge repeated statements that this legislation is about saving lives and involves no change to the law or practice on abortion. Legalising the direct and intentional destruction of the life of an unborn baby can never be described as ‘life-saving’ or ‘pro-life’".
They claim that contrary to psychiatric evidence, they envisage as a result of this legislation "the deliberate destruction of a child, who could otherwise be saved, right up to and including the moment of birth".
They conclude by saying "freedom of conscience is a fundamental human right" and that "a State that truly cherishes freedom will respect the conscience of its citizens, including its public representatives, on such an important human value as the right to life".
