16
January 2015
Sinn
Féin's support for a woman's right to an abortion in certain limited
circumstances is not incompatible with Catholicism, Martin McGuinness has
said.
He was responding to a comment from the leader of the Catholic Church in
Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin.
Archbishop Martin had said any Catholic politician who supported
abortion would not be "in communion with the
church".
The deputy first minister spoke to BBC's Inside Politics on
Friday.
"I try and be the best Catholic I can be," Mr McGuinness
said.
"The Catholic Church is made up of people who have different opinions on
different issues."
Mr McGuinness repeated that Sinn Féin is opposed to abortion on demand
but said he had been moved by meeting Sarah Ewart, a woman from Northern Ireland
who had to travel to England for an abortion because her baby had no chance of
survival.
He said:"I think, in the context of my responsibility as a government
minister and other government ministers who have a duty to pass legislation,
when we're faced with the case of Sarah Ewart, we have to deal with
that in the most compassionate way possible."
'Own
choice'
Northern Ireland's Department of Justice is consulting on whether
abortion should be made legal in cases of "lethal fetal abnormality" and
pregnancy as a result of rape.
On Thursday, Archbishop Martin met Justice Minister David Ford to discuss
proposals for amendments to two aspects of Northern Ireland's abortion
laws.
The deputy first minister said he disagreed with people who believed a
change in the laws would lead to an "opening up of the
floodgates".
He said: "I totally and absolutely contradict those people. I think what
we need to do is recognise our responsibilities to support women when they make
the choice.
"This
is not about women being forced to do anything, they should be able to make
their own choice.
I absolutely respect the right of people to do that."
Comment:
It
would appear that the Deputy First Minister of the Stormont government and
oftentimes spokesman for the Sinn Fein party is somewhat confused about the
Catholic Church's firm position on the issue of abortion. Essentially, as
Catholics we believe that life begins at the moment of conception and any
measures taken to terminate a pregnancy is murder. pure and simple.
Jack
Meehan, National President Emeritus
Ancient
Order of Hibernians in America
Knights
of Columbus - 4th Degree
