Abortion decriminalisation: Reaction from churches and BPAS

However the British Pregnancy Advisory Service welcomed the changes as a victory for womens’ rights. Their comments come on the same day as abortion became decriminalised in Northern Ireland and as same sex marriage became legalised here.

The bishops statement said that “all explicit protection for the unborn child up to 28 weeks of pregnancy was removed in Northern Ireland, leading to potentially one of the most liberal and unregulated abortion regimes in the world”.

“This is a tragic day for the unborn children who will now never bless our world with their unique and precious lives. It is also a sad day for our local democracy.”

For the past ten months, along with tens of thousands of others, they said, they have been calling on political representatives to restore the NI Assembly, not only to address the pressing economic, social, health, welfare and educational issues, but especially also to debate and halt abortion legislation which was “rushed” through Westminster Parliament in July.

They also took issue with politicians who denigrated the sitting of the assembly yesterday, which was boycotted by Sinn Fein and the Alliance Party, and from which the SDLP left early in protest.

“To describe as a ‘stunt’ the efforts of thousands of citizens from all sections of our community to make use of the democratic system to address an issue of such fundamental importance is deeply offensive. The unavoidable truth is that our locally elected representatives had the time and the power to prevent this draconian Westminster abortion legislation being introduced over the heads of local citizens but chose not to do so. It is the duty of citizens to hold their elected representatives accountable for the decisions they have made.”

They added: “Abortion is a brutal violation of the precious gift of life. The right to life is not given to us by any law or government. Any human law that removes the right to life is an unjust law and must be resisted by every person, every voter, every political representative. For Catholic politicians this is not only a matter of protecting the human right to life but also a fundamental matter of Catholic faith.”

The bishops also emphasised the protections needed to protect the freedom of conscience of healthcare professionals who fear being forced to take part in abortions.

“We are also concerned at the redefinition of marriage which effectively places the union of two men, or two women, on a par with the marriage relationship between a husband and wife which is open to the procreation of children.”

But they said the door was not closed on the issues.

“Our locally elected representatives still have the power to bring together the Assembly to deal with the introduction of this legislation and the range of other issues such as welfare, health and education that urgently demand attention for the sake of the most vulnerable in our society, especially unborn children and their mothers.”

And they asked all voters to respond to the forthcoming short consultations on the Westminster legislation that has been introduced today.

Presbyterian moderator ‘very much regrets failure to secure devolution’

The bishops comments were echoed by Rt Rev Dr William Henry, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

“Following our previous call for courageous and compassionate leadership to serve the common good in Northern Ireland we very much regret that this latest opportunity to restore devolution to Northern Ireland has not been fully grasped by our local political parties,” he said after the Stormont sitting. “We have consistently encouraged those on all sides to set aside their ‘red lines’ to find an accommodation that would allow the formation of an Executive, and have supported the Secretary of State in his efforts.”

It was “surprising” that some parties have been willing to allow the UK Parliament to legislate for the people of Northern Ireland without consideration of the devolution settlement, the church was “disappointed” that the recall of the Assembly “was dismissed by some as a political stunt”.

He added: “While we deeply regret that the consequence of this continued stalemate will be the introduction of an abortion regime far beyond what people may imagine, the failure of this attempt to restore devolution means that many other pressing concerns will continue to remain unaddressed which affect the lives of everyone in our society, not least the marginalised and vulnerable.

“Our focus now turns to engaging with the Northern Ireland Office consultation on the regulations that have now to be implemented concerning the change in the definition of marriage, the abortion of unborn children, and the important rights of conscience for those in the medical and nursing professions.”

He too called on party leaders to renew efforts to restore devolution.

The Rev Sam McGuffin, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, also expressed disappointment on the decriminalisation of abortion.

“I am deeply disappointed that our Northern Ireland MLA’s have through their inability to cooperate, allowed this abortion legislation to become law,” he said.

“I wish to place on record my thanks to those organisation who have supported the right to life cause and would encourage them to continue in their efforts to bring about a change to this extreme legislation.”

However Katherine O’Brien, Associate Director at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, bpas, welcomed the changes.

“The decriminalisation of abortion marks a momentous victory for women’s rights in Northern Ireland,” she said. “It is a testament to the years of hard work by campaigners, healthcare professionals, and hundreds of women who have bravely spoken out about the impact of their country’s draconian abortion law. Bpas is proud to have been able to provide abortion care for thousands of women from Northern Ireland in our clinics in England since 1968, but we have always been clear that women must be able to access that care at home.

“Following this important legislative change, the Secretary of State must now publish the consultation to begin the process of creating a framework for accessible, fully funded local abortion services. Decriminalisation does not mean deregulation, and abortion will be governed in the same way as all other medical and clinical procedures, on the basis of guidelines and standards set by professional and medical bodies. Healthcare professionals have operated under one of the strictest abortion laws in the world in Northern Ireland, and training must be made available as a matter of urgency for those who require it in order to provide the abortion care their patients need.

“Bpas will continue to provide a Central Booking Service for women and healthcare professionals seeking to arrange abortion care in England. As of 22nd October 2019, the UK Government will fund all travel and accommodation for all women from Northern Ireland seeking abortion care in England.”