CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Ireland: the bishops’ concern over abortion law Great concern has been expressed by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland in response to the decision taken by the Irish government to legislate for abortion, even if only when the woman is seriously at risk of dying. The announcement was made December 18 at the end of a debate that had involved the country and that had become really hot after a tragic event: the death of a thirty-one-year-old woman of Indian origin, Savita Halappanavar, of septicaemia last October, one week after her request – that was rejected – to Galway university hospital. On learning the news, all of the four Irish Catholic archbishops took position and wrote a joint release: "If what is being proposed were to become law, the careful balance between the equal right to life of a mother and her unborn child in current law and medical practice in Ireland would be fundamentally changed. It would pave the way for the direct and intentional killing of unborn children. This can never be morally justified in any circumstances". A 1992 ruling of the Supreme Court had paved the way to legalising abortion when the woman is seriously at risk, but the legislation was never completed. And the Bishops comment: "To legislate on the basis of such a flawed judgement would be both tragic and unnecessary". "The right to life is the most fundamental of all rights", the Catholic archbishops write. Then, the bishops remind the political leaders of their responsibility, as the outcome of the law will depend on their votes. And they urge: "on a decision of such fundamental moral importance" every political leader must be given the right to and the respect of freedom of conscience. "No one has the right to force or coerce someone to act against their conscience. Respect for this right is the very foundation of a free, civilised and democratic society". England: two faiths come together While in Italy religious have decreased, in England mixed marriages, Christian-Muslim marriages in particular. Thus the "Christian-Muslim Forum" – a forum for dialogue created in 2001 by the archbishop of Canterbury, for understanding between two faiths – published a brochure titled "When two faiths come together, Marriage, the family and pastoral care", freely available on line. In the presentation of the initiative, Msgr. Paul Hendricks, auxiliary bishop of the Catholic diocese of Southwark, co-president of the Christian-Muslim Forum, said the booklet intends to "offer a valid guide to priests and Imams". "With a growing number of Christians and Muslims united in marriage, we also need to have a greater awareness of the pastoral care that should be given to these couples, helping them discover their marriage also as a place for dialogue, for a fruitful bond between the two religions". The guidelines refer to the many years of experience of Christians and Muslims in pastoral work with mixed couples. It is therefore an invitation to religious ministers to be "open to interreligious couples, to give them the care they need". Info: www.christianmuslimforum.org.Belgium: a violation of the right to self-defence The rummaging of June 24 2010 in the seat of the Archbishopric of Malines-Brussels, in the private residence to Cardinal Danneels carried out in the framework of "Calice" operation, the investigation on sexual abuse committed within the Catholic Church, was carried out in an "arbitrary" manner, that could become an "irreparable violation of the rights to self-defence". "This is the decision of the Chamber for Committal for trial of the Court of Appeal in Brussels, in a sentence which, for the third time, declares that all documents and everything "that was seized on June 25 June 2010 in the archbishop’s palace and in the residence of Cardinal Danneels in Malines should be eliminated from the dossier on the inquiry". In a statement Fernad Keuleneer, lawyer for the archdiocese and the cardinal, said he is "satisfied" with the ruling. He added: "The archdiocese and the cardinal have nothing to hide".
