Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last Saturday, an estimated 40,000 people attended a march in peaceful opposition to the proposed protection of life Bill 2013. They included people of all ages from all sections of society. They included people of all faiths and none. What they had in common was a peaceful determination to highlight the dangerous cultural shift that will inevitably take place if the Bill as it currently stands becomes law. A strongly worded and uncompromising statement emerged from the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference yesterday. The bishops said in no uncertain terms that they believe the people of this country are being actively "misled" about the true nature of this Bill. Their statement continued:

The right to life is the most fundamental of all rights; it is the foundation of all other rights. No individual has the right to destroy life and no State has the right to undermine the right to life. Yet the Irish Government is proposing abortion legislation that will fundamentally change the culture of medical practice in Ireland. For the first time legislation will be enacted permitting the deliberate and intentional killing of an unborn child. This represents a radical change. Every citizen, not just people of faith, should be deeply concerned.

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