Irish Bishops Make Clear Catholic Hospitals In Ireland Won't Perform Abortions

Tré Goins-Phillips : Aug 2, 2018
Faithwire.com

Angelo Bottone of the pro-life Iona Institute wrote this week that if institutions were not allowed religious exemptions, Catholic hospitals could be forced to "refuse public funds and reduce its activities, or to close down its maternity department and continue to offer its services in other areas," significantly decreasing the medical centers' capability to meet the needs of their communities.

(Ireland)—[Faithwire.com] Irish bishops are not backing down when it comes to abortion, making clear medical staff at Catholic hospitals in Ireland will not be terminating pregnancies. (Image: Creative Commons-Pixabay)

The hard-line stance against abortion comes just months after Ireland voted overwhelmingly to rescind the European island's Eighth Amendment, which previously banned abortion in the country, valuing both the life of the mother and her unborn child equally.

But now, following Ireland's pro-abortion vote, the country's progressive politicians are expecting all health-care organizations—even those with religious creeds—to provide all "women's health services," including abortion.

The directive came from Simon Harris, minister for health in the Irish government:

@SimonHarrisTD (Tweet)
All publicly funded health services providers in State will be expected to provide legal health services- incl. women's health services. This should be a statement of the obvious! Conscientious objection is for individuals, not institutions...

The Irish government is claiming it will allow objections from individual medical personnel but is refusing to provide cover for entire institutions. However, according to the Irish Catholic bishops' Code of Ethical Standards for Health Care, the two are one in the same...

Continue reading here.