By Sarah Mac Donald - 08 July, 2013
The Bishop of Ferns has hit out at the lack of any official political opposition to the Government’s legislation on abortion and the lack of a free vote.
Speaking at the National Shrine in Knock on Sunday, Bishop Denis Brennan said that if any issue qualifies for a conscience vote it is the legalisation of abortion and he asked the leaders of the country’s political parties what they are afraid of?
Addressing the congregation gathered for the annual Ferns and Killaloe diocesan pilgrimages, he said he had “huge admiration” for those TDs, who despite massive pressure to toe the party line, have voted and will vote with their conscience.
“This is courage of a rare order, especially in the face of expulsion and the threat of being deselected at the next election,” he said.
Dr Brennan said he had some sympathy for the ‘whipped’ deputies as they should never have been put in a position where they have to choose between their future political careers and their conscience.
As the Dáil prepares to vote on the final draft of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy bill on Wednesday evening, the Bishop of Ferns said that pro life supporters find themselves in “a strange place at the moment” as there is no official Dáil opposition to the Government’s plan to legislate on a life and death issue.
“Is this good for democracy? Can you have a healthy democracy if you have no real opposition?” he asked.
Referring to the role of opposition parties to hold the Government to account, the Bishop asked what happens if the opposition doesn’t do its job?
He also criticised the role of “a largely supportive, compliant media” and said this made it “more likely that ‘group-think’ will occur.”
In his strongly-worded homily, the Bishop criticised the political establishment for leaving tens of thousands of Irish citizens feeling the heavy weight of state taxation while being denied the kind of parliamentary representation that should accompany a modern democracy.
“This is not good for society, nor does it do anything to encourage people to believe in, and participate in, the democratic process”, Bishop Brennan said.
Noting that society today has many vulnerable persons, including women in crisis pregnancies as well as unborn children whose lives may be legally ended in many places during pregnancy, the Bishop said abortion robs the unborn of their freedom to choose anything any time.
“It robs the human person of all rights, not just the right to life; none of us has any rights if we are dead!”
Referring to the likelihood that the bill will pass into law, he said the irony is “it will change everything – and nothing.”
“Despite the Taoiseach’s assertion that it will change nothing legally, everybody knows that it will change a great deal. If it changes nothing legally why go to all the bother and expense of pushing it through?” the Bishop asked.
Reiterating that human life is sacred, he said “Restricted abortion means crossing the line, after that we are in a new place morally and the numbers are academic.”
Bishop Brennan said it would be difficult to come to Mary’s Shrine at Knock and not reflect on the sacredness and dignity of human life.
Separately, in Downpatrick, Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor hailed the courage of those TDs who refused to “bend to the weavers of party political mantras.”
Bishop Treanor accused the Taoiseach and the Government of failing to engage with key substantive issues raised in the abortion debate and said this failure had “seriously impoverished the quality of public and political debate.”
He added the Government’s refusal to engage had dealt a fatal blow to the legitimacy of the political and legislative process and disenfranchised massive numbers of citizens in Ireland.
These deputies, and a minister of state, are prepared to take a stand, at personal and professional cost for ultimate values, he said.
“I salute the members of the All-Party Pro-Life Group at Stormont for their letter, published in The Irish Times on Tuesday 2 July, in which they signalled their concerns about abortion as a treatment for suicidal ideation and their concern,” Bishop Treanor said in Saul.
He also urged the faithful to keep the TDs who have taken or may take a stance in defence of human life in their prayers as well as all TDs in the coming days and weeks.
By Sarah Mac Donald
