Politicians and government must move to reaffirm a constitutional protection for the unborn, the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, has said. In his annual message to mark yesterday's Day for Life, Dr Connell said that despite our social and economic advances, there was an "urgent need to re-examine our failure to cherish human life". He also said society needed to look at how it viewed motherhood and fatherhood if it was to fully address the issue of abortion.
The Day for Life was initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1995, to "foster . . . a recognition of the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition".
Ireland had so far failed to resolve the abortion issue satisfactorily on either the social or legal level and the Government's Green Paper on abortion was awaited, said Dr Connell. But it was also necessary to broaden the debate. We need to "see how we treat motherhood and fatherhood in our society and what effect this has on the [woman's] decision about abortion. "In most cases, even when the father is supportive, it is ultimately the woman who will make the decision. Years of influence from our culture influence the way women decide on this issue," he said. Becoming a mother in less than ideal circumstances should not be seen as a kind of death sentence for women, he urged.
Quoting from research carried out in the US and at Trinity College Dublin, he said women now carry the "double burden of income earner and carer".
A woman's decision was shaped by considerations which valued family life, an active father and the economic and emotional welfare of the child. While affirming the value of marriage, "we must look at our own willingness to provide the support that women in these situations need." As he asked politicians to implement "full constitutional protection for the unborn" he also urged the introduction of new supports for women and the promotion of a pro-life ethic in schools and media.
