THE controversial American priest, Father Paul Marx, and Mrs Nora Bennis will be among the speakers at an anti-abortion conference over the weekend.
The conference, organised by the US-based Human Life International organisation, is taking place in Killiney, Co Dublin. It opened last night with Mass and a homily from Father Marx on "Abortion and Euthanasia: The Future of Ireland and the World".
Father Marx first came to public attention in Ireland with a tour of schools speaking on abortion. He disturbed a number of parents and children by illustrating his talks with a foetus in a bottle.
The conference resumes at 8.15 this morning. Mrs Bennis is the first speaker, on the theme, "Faith, Of our Fathers: Who Will Defend it Now?" Also among the speakers is Dr Bernard Nathanson, author of The Hand of God: A Journey from Death to Life by the Abortion Doctor Who Changed His Mind. He is speaking on "Genetic Manipulation: The Coming Revolution" and is also the speaker at the conference banquet tonight, on the theme, "The Hand of God". Tomorrow's session opens with Mass at 8 a.m., followed by lectures on "China's War on the Unborn"; "Mary: God's Masterpiece and Our Model"; "The UN's Anti-Family Agenda" and "The New Age Movement Within the Church". The conference ends with Mass and a homily.
Asked if he was attending the conference, the chairman of the Pro-life Campaign, Mr Des Hanafin, said: "That's the first I heard of it. We don't go in for the kind of thing they go in for, picketing and all that. What works in America does not work here. What can any of them tell us?"
Mr Peter Scully, of Family and Life, said he hoped to attend, though he stressed that he was not involved in organising it. He had been involved in Human Life International, but parted with the organisers recently. This followed allegations during the divorce referendum that the organisation had solicited money in the US for the No-Divorce Campaign in which Mr Scully was involved. Mr Scully denied these allegations.
It is understood that the disagreements between him and the US organisation ended up in the courts in recent months, and Mr Scully and the Irish directors of HLI set up Family and Life.