Catholic abortion repeal voters are '˜fooling themselves'

The doubts emerged after a priest in the Armagh diocese wrote to an engaged couple to advise them that any “promotion or advocacy” for abortion would “impact on the appropriateness” of celebrating a Catholic wedding ceremony.

The Catholic Church has strict requirements before agreeing to marry an engaged couple, including in most cases the completion of a marriage preparation course.

The letter, reported by the BBC, was written to the couple by Fr Damien Quigley of the parish of Middle Kileavy, Newry.

The groom-to-be, referred to only as ‘Kevin’, appeared on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday morning. He told the Nolan Show he believed Fr Quigley was holding his wedding “to ransom”.

However, Liam Gibson of the pro-life group Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said Catholics who believe they can remain faithful and “vote in favour of abortion” are “fooling themselves”.

Fiona Ferguson, of pro-choice group Solidarity with Repeal, however, said the Catholic Church was “not doing itself any favours” by sticking to what she described as “regressive views”.

Mr Gibson, who stressed that his organisation “has members from all faiths and none”, said: “The Church teaches that from a moral point of view those who facilitate an abortion are as culpable as those who actually carry one out.”

He added: “That applies both to politicians and ordinary Catholics.

“Anyone who believes it is possible to vote in favour of abortion and remain a faithful Catholic is fooling themselves.”

Ms Ferguson said: “From contraception, to divorce law, and now to repeal, we hear this moral high ground being taken by the Catholic Church.

“I think that it is exactly these kind of views that Ireland overwhelmingly said it didn’t want to be a part of.”

She added: “The Church needs to realise that it is not going to do itself any favours by sticking to these regressive views, that are out of touch with modern society.”