The perception of the seriousness of abortion has grown progressively obscured, Cardinal Seán Brady said at the introduction to a mass held today in Knock.
Cardinal Brady was the chief celebrant at mass held in Knock Basilica this afternoon as part of a vigil for mothers and the unborn.
“We live in a twilight sort of world where, unfortunately, the perception of the seriousness of abortion - has grown progressively obscured in the minds of many of our contemporaries,” Cardinal Brady said in his introduction.
“In this Mass we pray for courage - the kind of courage that is needed to look the truth in the eye and to call it as it is, without yielding to self-deception or bowing to convenient compromise, scrupulously avoiding ambiguous language which cloaks the true horror of the situation and reduces its seriousness in public.”
In his homily, Bishop Brendan Leahy said abortion was never the solution to problems in pregnancy.
“Irish society is today faced with a serious choice. It is very possible that an abortion regime will be introduced into this country, thereby for the first time overturning in law the fundamental principle of the inviolability of innocent human life,” he said.
Bishop Leahy said that, while medical treatment of mothers whose lives are in danger was permissible even if this resulted in the unintended death of the child in the womb, that the direct taking of the life of an unborn child could not be justified on the grounds suicidal intent.
“It needs to be said that the direct taking of the life of an unborn child cannot be justified on the grounds of intention in the case of a mother’s threatened suicide which ought to be treated by other means. As many psychiatrists have pointed out abortion is not a treatment for suicidal ideation,” he said.
“Is really necessary to provide for abortion in circumstances where evidence overwhelmingly indicates it is unnecessary and unjustified? Are we crossing a Rubicon?
“We appeal to you to recognise that abortion legislation concedes a basic principle of law - that innocent human life may not be taken. There is a lesson to be learned from the experience of other countries that started down the path of abortion legislation with what they thought were ‘restrictive’ laws,” he said.
“Our sincerely-held conviction and passion for life arises because the stakes are high. What might appear as a limited step, restricted abortion, is far from limited in potential.”