By Patrick B. Craine
VICTORIA, British Columbia, February 23, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic bishop of Victoria, Richard Gagnon, has criticized his Member of Parliament, Dr. Keith Martin (L-Esquimalt - Juan de Fuca), following the latter's sharp rebuke earlier this month of the Conservative government for keeping abortion out of their plan to promote maternal and child health care in the Third World.
“One cannot help but see that his wording and approach to the abortion question is part of the problem in our country,” wrote Bishop Gagnon in a statement to LifeSiteNews.
On February 11th, Martin accused the Conservative government, in a strongly-worded press release, of “pursu[ing] an ideological approach to public policy.” Martin was responding to comments from Conservative MP Shelly Glover (Saint Boniface), made the day before on CBC, that abortion was “not part and parcel of” Prime Minister Stephen Harper's maternal health plan as president of this year's G8 summit.
“Mr. Harper and members of his government may personally oppose abortion, but they do not have the right to deprive others from having this option in countries where abortion is legal,” said Martin.
“There is no more effective way to enable countries to improve their economy, reduce social costs, save lives, and indeed improve their environment than by enabling people to access a full spectrum of family planning options,” he added.
Martin's comments backed up the stance of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, who had called for abortion funding in the Conservatives' initiative in early February. “We’ve had a pro-choice consensus in this area for a couple of generations and we want to hold it,” Ignatieff stated.
Bishop Gagnon begins his statement by saying that he does “not wish to defend” the Conservative government's approach to abortion in Canada, citing “their unwillingness to allow discussion of this important question in Parliament and their support for the status quo in Canada.”
But he also says that Martin's approach to abortion is “part of the problem in our country.”
“Instead of dealing with this question in an objective and factual way,” Bishop Gagnon says, “[Dr. Martin] encases his argument in accusatory language making strong assertions that are, in fact, disputed by academics, doctors, and scientists who are as equally qualified as Dr. Martin.”
“How can we as a society ever deal with this troubling question unless there is honest, open and respectful discussion on a question which has deeply divided our country?” he asks. “Platitudes, accusations and authoritative positions do not help in the Abortion debate.”
Martin had labelled the Conservatives' position against abortion in the initiative as “a tragic triumph of ideology over science.” But according to Bishop Gagnon, the fact that Martin “sees no serious moral question in ending the life of unborn human life and sees Abortion as simply one of an array of options for family planning, makes you wonder about who is advocating an ideology?”
Martin had said, further, that 80,000 women die every year from “septic abortions,” and indicated that more than half of these women's children under five would also die due to their mothers' deaths. But, according to Bishop Gagnon, to say that “this problem will be solved by promoting abortions ... raises not only eyebrows but the need to more thoroughly look at this question.”
“Why can’t we strive to save the woman and the unborn and the born?” he asked.
As LSN reported last week, experts have offered significant evidence that access to abortion is linked with high maternal mortality, contrary to claims by pro-aborts. Chile is one example among many of a country that has cut its maternal mortality while tightening its abortion laws, doing so in the 1980s. Maternal mortality there has dropped from 275 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1960 to 18.7 in 2000, the lowest in South America.
Bishop Gagnon also said that Martin's “unquestioning faith” in the effectiveness of condoms at stopping HIV/AIDS and reducing abortions “is not self-evident and is disputed by people as equally qualified as Dr. Martin.”
“The lack of reference for the need to change behaviour makes one wonder about the lack of thorough discussion that should be taking place here,” the bishop noted.
He concluded by calling on Canadians to address “this troubling question of abortion” in Parliament and other public forums.
Martin's belief that “abortion and the other options of family planning are the effective ways 'to enable countries to improve their economies, reduce social costs, save lives and improve the environment',” said the bishop, “only [emphasizes] the need for a serious second look at the current status quo in Canada as well as the unfair demands on Canadian taxpayers to support the views of those who advocate abortion as one of a series of acceptable options in family life.”
Contact Information:
Most Rev. Richard Gagnon
Bishop, Diocese of Victoria
4044 Nelthorpe Street
Victoria, BC V8X 2A1
Telephone: (250) 479-1331
Fax: (250) 479-5423
E-mail: Fill in the form here.
The Hon. Michael Ignatieff
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 995-9364
Fax: (613) 992-5880
E-mail: IgnatM@parl.gc.ca
The Hon. Keith Martin
300 Justice Building
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: 613.996.2625
Fax: 613.996.9779
E-mail: Martin.K@parl.gc.ca
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Experts Disagree with Ignatieff: Abortion Doesn’t Reduce Maternal Mortality
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021913.html
Canadian PM Calls for G8 to Tackle Maternal Mortality – Abortion Push Feared
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012712.html
Liberal Party of Canada Demands Abortion Push in Maternal Health Initiative
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020207.html
Canadian Liberal Leader Ignatieff Slammed as “Extreme” and “Divisive” on Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020312.html
Toronto Archbishop Slams “Sad” and “Negative” Proposal by Liberal Leader Ignatieff
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020406.html
Abortion Not Part of Harper's Maternal Health Initiative: Conservative MP
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021005.html
Liberal MP Reproaches Conservatives for Keeping Abortion Out of Maternal Health Initiative
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021507.html
Minister Confirms Abortion Not Part of Harper's Maternal Health Initiative
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021905.html