The Catholic Church’s pregnancy advice service has been instructed to stop distributing a leaflet containing contact numbers for inquiries about abortion, it has emerged.
Fiona O'Malley, Progressive Democrats
The Irish Bishops’ Conference today said that following its three-day general meeting that ended yesterday, it had decided to ask volunteers at its crisis pregnancy service, Cura, to stop distributing the Positive Options leaflet.
Controversy arose after Cura volunteers in Donegal objected to the leaflet because it contained contact information for services that give advice on obtaining an abortion.
The women had a letter published in The Irish Catholicrecently in which they raised concerns about the leaflet. Following its publication, Cura's executive wrote to the women saying they had breached the organisation's code of confidentiality and therefore could not continue their relationship.
The leaflet was created by the State-sponsored Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA), which has a service agreement with Cura and gives funding in excess of €600,000. Under this agreement, Cura agreed to distribute the leaflet.
The Irish Bishops’ Conference issued a statement today effectively supporting the women’s stance. It rejected claims that Cura volunteers were distributing the leaflet to "deliberately facilitate an abortion" but said that the information in the leaflet "would need to be changed if it is to be acceptable.
"It seems clear that the aim of promoting options other than abortion cannot be reconciled with: presenting abortion simply as an option among others; the implication that abortion is a positive option; the fact that seven of the nine agencies listed in the leaflet state that they ‘will give contact details for abortion clinics, if requested in a pregnancy counselling session’.
"Other important issues arising include the lack of any reference to the right to life of the unborn child in the leaflet and certain aspects of the question of referral," the statement said.
It called on Cura’s executive to stop distributing the leaflet and to raise the bishops’ concerns with the CPA. A meeting is due to be arranged.
Progressive Democrats TD Fiona O’Malley said the bishops’ decision "will cause confusion and add to the distress for many women".
She said Cura’s State funding must come into question as the bishops’ policy is contrary to that of the CPA.
"If you receive public funding, then you must be prepared to abide by the terms of the agreement entered into. Agencies should not be allowed to cherry-pick," she said.