Cathal BarryThe leader of the Church in Ireland has insisted he will mount a “robust” defence of the right to life of mothers and unborn babies diagnosed with fatal foetal abnormalities in a meeting with the North’s Justice Minister this week.
Archbishop Eamon Martin also urged Catholics to question their politicians over where they stand on the issue.
Speaking at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, the Primate of All Ireland criticised the exclusion of pro-life arguments from the debate in Northern Ireland over possible changes to its abortion law.
Archbishop Eamon warned that Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister’s consultation document “proposes that totally innocent and terminally ill babies in the womb will no longer have an absolute right to life”.
He also advised that under David Ford’s proposals children diagnosed with fatal foetal abnormalities wouldn’t have the “right to all the care and medical support that we would expect and wish for any child or adult who is terminally ill”.
A delegation representing the Church is due to meet Mr Ford and his officials this week to express their dissatisfaction with the document.
A spokesperson confirmed to The Irish Catholic that the meeting would take place on Thursday, January 15.
Archbishop Eamon pledged that the delegation would be “unapologetic” in calling for quality peri-natal and post-natal hospice care and counselling for those faced with the trauma and anxiety of having a terminally ill unborn child.
In his homily, the Archbishop of Armagh said Catholics have a “responsibly to build a culture of life”.
“One value which we should never grow tired of witnessing to, as Catholics, is the value and sacredness of human life itself.
“Life is precious from the first moment of conception through to natural death,” he said.