Sir, - Canon Kearon states (November 19th) that he and I have more in common than I would wish to admit. In this he is largely correct.
To begin with we are both practising Christians, we are both academics, we both deplore the fact that over 5,000 young Irish women each year feel the desperate need for abortion, and I too am privileged to have had an association with Trinity College - as extern examiner for a number of years in obstetrics and gynaecology in the final medical examinations of the University of Dublin.
But there the sense of agreement ends.
Canon Kearon maintains that induced abortion is necessary in "medical crises", whatever they may be. While I respect his opinion, I believe him to be in error, because from my training and long years' experience as a practising obstetrician/gynaecologist I know of no circumstances where a mother's life can only be saved by directly killing her unborn child. In fact, there are no medical indications for such induced abortion.
Canon Kearon says that "there is life in the embryo from the earliest stages for it is a living organism, but this is not the same as it being a person, as Professor O'Dwyer accepts". I am sorry. I did not accept that premise. On the contrary, I stated: "There can be no argument but that human life begins at conception, and from conception every human being is a person."
Clearly we do not agree on the concept of "personhood", and like him I do not intend to "trade quotations".
Hopefully, Canon Kearon will enter into personal dialogue, where we can discuss our differences and, even should we agree to differ, find many areas of total agreement. - Yours, etc., Prof Eamon O'Dwyer,
Lower Taylors Hill, Galway.