Archbishop John Sherrington, lead bishop for life issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, says the Church is “deeply alarmed” after MPs passing an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill on decriminalising abortion.
In a statement he said: “Parliament passed an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that effectively decriminalises abortion in England and Wales. We are deeply alarmed by this decision. Our alarm arises from our compassion for both mothers and unborn babies.
“New Clause 1 lifts any criminal liability for women performing their abortions for any reason, at any time, including up to and during birth. This decision significantly reduces the protection of unborn lives and will result in grave harm for pregnant women.
“Women will be even more vulnerable to manipulation, coerced and forced abortions. This legal change will also discourage medical consultation and make the use of abortion pills for dangerous late-term, at-home abortions more likely.
“Abortion is often chosen because of the personal challenges that a woman faces, as well as the lack of proper suitable guidance and support. The enacting of New Clause 1 will result in women being more alone, vulnerable, and isolated.
“However, we cannot lose hope. The Church keeps working tirelessly to protect the dignity of every life. We will not abandon pregnant women and their unborn children in their most vulnerable moment. I thank all those within and outside the Church who share this commitment and continue to serve parents in need and their babies.
“Let us continue to pray and commend the lives of these women, children, their families, and all who support them to the maternal intercession of Our Lady, Mother of God.”
Meanwhile, campaigners have vowed to fight the amendment as the bill makes its way through the House of Lords, having been passed by a vote of 379 to 137 in the House of Commons.
The amendment would change the law so it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason, including sex-selective purposes, and at any point up to and during birth.
Right to Life UK says this is the first time this amendment has been debated in the House of Commons and there has been no consultation with the public.
Spokesperson Catherine Robinson, said: “Pro-abortion MPs have hijacked a government Bill to rush through this radical and seismic change to our abortion laws after just two hours’ debate.
“This is the first time this extreme abortion amendment has been debated in the House of Commons, and there has been no consultation with the public on this seismic law change. We will be fighting this amendment at every stage in the Lords.
“Tonia Antoniazzi’s amendment would change the law so it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason, and at any point up to and during birth, likely leading to a significant increase in the number of women performing dangerous late-term abortions at home.
“This law change would likely lead to the lives of many more women being endangered because of the risks involved with self-administered late-term abortions and also tragically lead to an increased number of viable babies’ lives being ended well beyond the 24-week abortion time limit and beyond the point at which they would be able to survive outside the womb.
“This change to the law is not backed by the general public nor by women in particular. Polling shows that 89% of the general population and 91% of women agree that gender-selective abortion should be explicitly banned by the law, and only one per cent of women support introducing abortion up to birth.
“The abortion lobby is pushing to decriminalise abortion to cover up the disastrous effects of its irresponsible pills by post scheme, which endangers women by removing the requirement for in-person consultations to reliably verify a woman’s gestational age and assess any health risks or the risk of coercion before abortion pills may be prescribed.
“The solution is clear. We urgently need to reinstate in-person appointments. This simple safeguard would prevent women’s lives from being put at risk from self-administered late-term abortions, a danger that would be exacerbated if abortion were ‘decriminalised’ right up to birth.”
Lord Alton of Liverpool added: “This hasty change will have profound implications for the way that longstanding law in this country will operate.
“We know there are potential real risks for the safety of women in particular who will be encouraged towards DIY abortions.
“I expect that colleagues in the House of Lords will wish to scrutinise its provisions very closely and to amend it as necessary to make it safe.”