By Hilary White
BELFAST, October 17, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com ) – While the politicians and public of Northern Ireland gear up to fight an effort to bring legal abortion into the province, the Catholic Bishops of Northern Ireland have issued a media release condemning the move.
The Catholic bishops said that the attempt is a direct attack on the democratic process, since “all the main political parties in Northern Ireland have expressed their opposition to the extension of the 1967 Abortion Act.”
In July, a group of six radical pro-abortion MPs, none of whom represent Northern Ireland constituencies, put forward an amendment to the Labour government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill that would extend the 1967 Abortion Act into the province. Northern Ireland’s devolved parliament has fought back with a letter from all major parties condemning any attempt to override the democratic process to force the unwanted change.
The bill is scheduled to come to a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday, October 22nd. Pro-life campaigners will gather at Stormont tomorrow at a rally to protest the attempt to force abortion on Northern Ireland.
The bishops “ask all Westminster MPs to take account of the clear position of the Northern Ireland political parties who represent the strongly held conviction of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland, by voting against the amendment.
“We ask Westminster MPs to respect the particular cultural, historical and political circumstances of Northern Ireland and to avoid any action which may be seen as intruding on the carefully negotiated settlement of political aspiration, representative participation and human rights here.”
A report in the Daily Telegraph this week suggests that the group of six MPs could be under pressure to drop the attempt. The Telegraph reports that the MPs have been “privately warned by ministers” that, with the “Stormont executive close to collapse” the attempt to override the Assembly on abortion could prompt Northern Irish MLAs to withdraw from crucial negotiations over policing and justice issues. The Northern Ireland Assembly, while united on abortion, is deeply divided on negotiations related to the peace process.
Last week, Northern Irish MLAs warned that attempts to force abortion on the province against the will of the people, would backfire for Westminster, possibly triggering a constitutional crisis that could bring down the Northern Irish Assembly.
Assembly Member, Pat Ramsey (SDLP), said such a move “could collapse the entire Assembly. I don’t think there’d be much point in having an assembly where all the parties are opposed to abortion, but the British Government imposes it anyway.”
The bishops urged the people of “good will” of Northern Ireland to “pray that greater recognition will be given to the life of the unborn child and to the inherent dignity of every person from conception to natural death within the HFE Bill.”
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Pro-Abortion MPs Attempting to Force Abortion on Northern Ireland through Back Door
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08072310.html
N. Ireland Pro-life Group launches 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting to Stop Abortion Threat
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08090505.html
Pro-life Efforts Redouble as U.K. Embryo Bill Goes Back to House of Commons
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08101006.html
Attempts to Impose Legal Abortion on Northern Ireland will Trigger Constitutional Crisis say MLAs
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08100902.html