The Bishops of Northern Ireland express “deep concern” for the ruling passed yesterday by the High Court of Belfast, according to which the abortion laws that apply in Northern Ireland when the foetus is seriously deformed or after a rape “are in breach of article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights”. “Our daily pastoral experience – the Bishops write – teaches us that, even in the most difficult cases, society cannot forget that human life is sacred and always worthy of the greatest protection, compassion and care. The Catholic Church teaches us that the duty to take care of and protect human life applies as much to the mother as to her unborn child, in any circumstance”. In Northern Ireland, abortion is legal only when pregnancy may endanger a woman’s life or physical or mental health. According to the Bishops, the decision taken by the High Court of Belfast puts “two lives against each other“ and sends society the message that “the life of some children is worthier than others of our protection, love and care”. The Irish Bishops are worried, above all, about the fate of unborn children who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome or spina bifida. “Vulnerable, innocent children – a release posted today states – who suffer from a disabling condition and children who have been conceived after a sexual offence they are not responsible for will no longer be able to be protected by law to claim their natural right to life. Deliberately and intentionally taking the life of an innocent person is seriously and morally wrong, in any circumstance”.

The Bishops point out that the Catholic Church has always supported a “culture of equal compassion and equal care for the mother and the unborn child”. And they add: “we share other people’s belief that the direct, deliberate killing of an unborn child can never be a humane, compassionate choice or a choice that is appropriate to the complex and delicate circumstances of a difficult pregnancy”.