Pro-life leaders deliver letter to Irish prime minister: Choose Life

March 16, 2018 CNA Daily News News Briefs 0 Print

Washington D.C., Mar 16, 2018 / 02:26 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A group of 17 American pro-life leaders delivered a letter to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Thursday urging him against repealing the country’s 8th Amendment.

Ireland’s 8th Amendment recognizes the right to life of both a mother and an unborn child. This means that abortion is illegal in the country with extremely limited exceptions. Ireland will hold a referendum on May 25 to possibly repeal this amendment and bring legal abortion to the country up until the 12th week of pregnancy. Past attempts at repeal have failed.

One of Varadkar’s first acts on his first day as prime minister was to start the process for the repeal vote.

Varadkar is in Washington, D.C. and visited the White House as part of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. Abortion was not discussed during the visit.

Pro-life leaders from groups around the country joined together to sign and deliver a letter defending the 8th Amendment and calling on Ireland to lead the way in respecting women and their babies.

Co-signers of the letter included Lila Rose of Live Action, Jeanne Mancini of the March for Life, Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life of America, and Marjorie Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony List.

The letter calls Ireland one of the safest places in the world for pregnant women, noting that it has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates – without relying on abortion. Additionally, the letter says that over 100,000 lives have been saved as a result of the 8th Amendment.

The repeal of the amendment, the pro-life leaders assert, would be a disaster for Ireland. While Varadkar has said that he supports abortion in limited circumstances, the letter–citing the United States’ example of the Roe v. Wade decision–warned that this could lead to widespread abortion throughout the country.

“Since then, millions of women have been negatively affected by abortion, some have even died, and we are missing over 55 million children in America today simply because of a law that was initially said to permit abortion only in certain cases.”

Further, the Roe v. Wade decision has impeded even “common sense” pro-life laws, including a 20-week ban, the pro-life leaders said.

It referred to Ireland as a “beacon of hope for the entire world” and as a leader in “demonstrating life-affirming laws and medical treatment.” These policies should be praised, not repealed, they said.

“You (Varadkar) have the power to continue Ireland’s excellence in life-affirming laws and healthcare.”

“Ireland has been a beacon of hope for America, that one day we too could have life-affirming laws that promote excellent healthcare for women and their children,” the co-signers said.

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Virginia bishops approve state’s move to abolish the death penalty

February 5, 2021 CNA Daily News 3

Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2021 / 04:00 pm (CNA).- Virginia’s two Catholic bishops welcomed the state legislature’s votes to abolish the death penalty this week. 

 

“We welcome today’s vote by the Virginia House of Delegates to abolish the death penalty, as well as the vote by the Virginia Senate to do so earlier this week,” read a joint statement from Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington and Barry Knestout of Richmond on Friday; the statement was issued shortly after the House vote. 

 

The bill, sponsored by Del. Mike Mullin (D), passed the state House of Delegates by a vote of 57-41. Three Republicans joined all but one Democrat in voting to abolish the death penalty. 

 

The bishops said they offer “and affirm the utmost need for” prayerful support for the loved ones of victims of horrific crimes. They also upheld “with clarity and conviction, the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: ‘[T]he death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.’”

 

“The same paragraph of the Catechism also notes that ‘[T]here is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes,’” the bishops said. 

 

They noted “this increasing awareness at work in the many voices that joined together to advocate for this legislation, and ultimately in the votes by the Senate and House in favor of ending the death penalty in Virginia, which has executed more people than any other state.”

 

Virginia’s last execution was in 2017. There are two people currently on death row in the state, and under the legislation their death sentences would be converted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since 1976, 113 people have been executed in Virginia, more than any other state except Texas. 

 

Burbidge and Knestout quoted Pope Francis saying that the death penalty is “an offence to the inviolability of life and to the dignity of the human person.” 

 

They added that “we have other ways to provide punishments and protect society, without resorting to executions.” 

 

“We too have been consistently clear in our stand on the abolition legislation this year and on similar legislation in years past, and in our direct interventions before executions occurred in Virginia and at the federal level,” said the bishops. 

 

The bill will now go to Gov. Ralph Northam (D) for signature. When the bill was introduced in the legislature on Jan. 13, Northam indicated that he would sign it into law.

 

The state Senate passed a bill repealing the death penalty on Wednesday, by a vote of 21-17. The bill passed by a party-line vote, as no Republicans voted for it and one abstained. 

 

The senate bill’s sponsor cited concerns that the death penalty is disproportionately used against racial minorities and persons with diminished mental capacity.

 

 


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