Respect life, and those arguing about it – Fr D’Arcy

Women facing crisis pregnancies need compassion, but this does not give anyone the right to end another’s life, Fr Brian D’Arcy has said.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Clare Byrne Show on Monday, Fr D’Arcy said: “I understand that we lose life, life doesn’t last forever, that mothers in difficulties have to make absolute choices, and I’ve been in that position with mothers many times and will be again.”

When women facing difficult pregnancies came to him, his job was to “wrap them in compassion”, he said. “My view is that we try to save every life for as long as we can. Sometimes it will mean that in the process of saving one life, another will be lost.”

From the moment of conception to the end, there should be a respect for life, the Passionist priest and author of Gold Collection said, adding, “now we seem to want to pick and choose who should live”.

Calling for respectful debate, Fr D’Arcy said we had to listen to “hear what you are saying. I have to respect you, that you have something worth saying to me that may change my way of life and will make me better. That is what we seem to be incapable of in this debate – of actually listening to the value of the other person.”