EDINBURGH, 29 August: The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland Tuesday announced he was resigning from Amnesty International after the human rights group changed its stance on abortion.
Cardinal Keith OBrien said he was withdrawing his membership because Amnestys new position on abortion contravened the “basic right to human life”.
His decision follows Amnesty’s recent backing of abortion in certain circumstances. The policy led to calls from senior members of the Catholic Church in Britain and the Vatican for a withdrawal of support from the organisation.
In a letter to John Watson, director of Amnesty in Scotland, Cardinal OBrien writes: “The recent decision by the International Council of Amnesty International to support the decriminalisation of abortion and to defend women’s access to abortion has forced me to reconsider my membership of this noble organisation.
“As a matter of conscience and with great sadness I have decided to resign from Amnesty International having first joined as a student and supported it over many decades. Throughout my priestly ministry I have shown my desire, with my Church, to defend life in all its aspects.”
Amnesty International reversed its long-time neutral stance on abortion in April.
It has adopted a policy urging governments to ensure access to abortion services for women in the case of rape, sexual assault, incest or when pregnancy represents a risk to the mother’s life or a grave risk to her health.
Cardinal OBrien was criticised in June after comparing abortion to the equivalent of “two Dunblane massacres a day”. He said the Scottish Parliament should have its powers extended to cover abortion laws.
Mr Watson said Tuesday: – I am sorry Cardinal OBrien has decided to resign his Amnesty membership, as there are many more issues we agree on.
Mr Watson noted the Cardinals claims that Amnesty was heading a campaign for a “universal right to abortion” misrepresented its position on the issue. Our position on the matter of abortion has been informed by our work in, for example, Darfur where rape is used systematically as a weapon of war, he said adding:
– Rape victims who fall pregnant suffer their own personal trauma but are also rejected by their communities. These women must not be abandoned by the international community.
Kilde: The Push Journal
