The Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal Desmond Connell, has asked "all those who would consider themselves pro-life and who are considering voting No" in next week's referendum whether they were "really content to leave the judgment in the X case in place as the authoritative statement of rights of the unborn".
He also asked them, "would a rejection of the present proposal not serve only to strengthen the case of those who argue that the X case should be supported by enabling legislation?"
In an article published in The Irish Times today, he said that it saddened him that some people who shared his concern for the value of unborn life and his abhorrence of abortion were urging a rejection of the amendment on the basis of their opinion that it did not provide adequate protection for the unborn.
"They point out, correctly, that the definition of the crime of abortion applies to the intentional destruction of unborn human life after implantation. I do not, however, accept their contention that such a definition leaves the unborn without protection prior to implantation," he said.
It seemed to him, after legal advice, that the right to life of all the unborn was still guaranteed by Article 40.3.3. and that the guarantee was not limited to the particular additional protection offered to the unborn in the womb by this amendment. "Support for this amendment is not inconsistent with a belief that unborn life should be valued from the moment of conception."
He was also "satisfied, on the basis of the ethical, medical and legal advice available to me, that the amendment would offer significantly improved protection for the unborn while not compromising the life of women".
He did not believe that it was either "morally appropriate or medically necessary" to allow abortion where there was a risk of suicide on the part of the woman. It was "especially important in the very difficult situation of pregnancy after rape or incest that we do not overlook the interests of the unborn".
While it was imperative that such women were met with all possible understanding and compassion, "the law could not make exceptions for such cases without undermining the fundamental principle that all human life is to be equally valued".
International experience showed that "where such exceptions are created, abortion invariably becomes widely available", he said.