To be against abortion is not simply ‘a Catholic thing’, Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has said. In an appeal to voters ahead of the referendum, Dr Martin said, “the innate dignity of every human life is a value for the whole of society – for people of all faiths and none. It is rooted in reason as well as in faith. To take away an innocent human life is always gravely wrong and can never be simply a matter of personal choice.”
Speaking directly to Irish voters, he urged them: “When you go inside the voting booth on May 25, pause and think of two lives – the life of the mother and the life of her baby: two hearts beating; two lives which are both precious and deserving of compassion and protection. Love them both. Pray for both. Choose life for them both. Say ‘no’ to the repeal of the Eighth Amendment and then do everything you can to ensure that our country will always provide the best possible care and support for all mothers and their unborn children.”