The commissioning of abortion facilities in Northern Ireland will open the door to the “most destructive and liberal regime in these islands,” the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has said in a newly released letter.
The unequivocally clear letter condemns the British government after NI Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said on Friday that he had instructed Stormont’s Department of Health to proceed with setting up permanent abortion facilities.
More abortion facilities are now being commissioned in the province three years after British MPs voted to impose abortion on the North while Stormont had collapsed. However, amid deep concern from Church leaders and pro-life campaigners, political deadlock has stalled any setting up of full abortion provision. However, on Friday 2 December, Heaton-Harris said NI Health Trusts will now be undertaking the recruitment and training of staff to support “sustainable services”.
In response to the development, Ireland’s biggest Protestant Church said the decision by the British government, which will essentially enforce an increase in abortion facilities in Northern Ireland is “not only regrettable by deplorable,” as it expressed great sadness at the prospect of many lives being lost.
The letter was penned by Rev Trevor Gribben, clerk of the General Assembly and the general secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), who said that Mr Heaton-Harris “has chosen to give life to the most destructive and liberal abortion regime in these islands”.
The Church also expressed its astonishment at the lack of consistency on the part of the Secretary of State in choosing to take action in this particular area while leaving Permanent Secretaries to take unaccountable political decisions in most other areas.
‘DISTRESSING’
in his letter, Mr Gribben stated: “Today, hard-pressed doctors and nurses begin a new week caring for people across a desperately under-funded and pressurised NHS in Northern Ireland, a week that also sees the dawn of fully commissioned and funded abortion services, following Friday’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
“The fact that Mr Heaton-Harris has chosen to give life to the most destructive liberal abortion regime in these islands is not only deeply regrettable, but deplorable. It is a sad and distressing day for everyone who values the sanctity of life, and is devastating for those who will not live to experience it”.
Speaking on behalf of the Church, he said there are many challenges facing Northern Ireland and its Health Service in particular, including lengthy waiting lists, staff recruitment and retention, and other services that are under-resourced.
“It is particularly curious to note that no interventions appear to be forthcoming in these areas – no ‘ring-fencing’ of resources for the real priorities of those who work in and are served by our NHS,” he said.
“Given the pressures on education, within the police service, infrastructure projects, and with the energy support payment still not available to people in Northern Ireland, it is not only astonishing, but also deeply disappointing, that the Secretary of State has taken this decision while seemingly unable to take others around the prioritisation of budgets, passing what is a political responsibility instead on to Permanent Secretaries.”
The PCI also said that little has been done to “actually support” women and their families experiencing a crisis pregnancy, or care for mothers of babies who have prenatally been diagnosed with a disability in the womb, who, in some cases, could be helped through perinatal care services.
“We recognise that women, their partners and families, do not take decisions about terminating a pregnancy lightly,” Mr Gribben said. “We note therefore that the Secretary of State has not ring-fenced resources to actually support women and their families experiencing a pregnancy crisis situation, or care for mothers carrying children who have been diagnosed with life-limiting conditions, or for women experiencing mental ill-health during pregnancy or after giving birth. Neither has thought been given to support the provision of comprehensive perinatal care services that involve practical, emotional and spiritual support for women”.
The statement also referred to broad-based public opposition to enforcing abortion on Northern Ireland, where both the life of mother and baby had legal protection up until 2019. He pointed to the results of a government consultation on abortion, which showed staggering opposition to its proposals.
“Whether the Secretary of State was obliged to take this action now is debatable and a matter of interpretation. We should not forget that 79% of people responding to the UK Government’s 2019 abortion proposals opposed the introduction of these measures,”.
“Not only have these developments been an abuse of the fragile devolution settlement, but their genesis came about by a shameful manipulation of the democratic processes of the House of Commons in 2019, facilitated by the then Speaker. It is worth noting that in the recent debates on the latest Northern Ireland Executive Formation etc Bill, amendments relating to this matter were correctly rejected by the current Speaker of the House of Commons, a notable departure from the actions of his predecessor.”
The statement also said that there are many staff working in the health and social care sector who will not want to participate in abortions. These include those who cite reasons of conscience, including Christian staff, and those of other faiths and none.
“There appears to be little guidance, or instruction in this regard. Perhaps the Secretary of State has not had time in his busy schedule to address these particular and very real concerns,” Mr Gribben pointed out.
The letter concluded by stating that many people in the North will be “rightfully angry” that the commissioning of abortion has been prioritised by the Secretary of State in the midst of an economic crisis. It predicted that the result will be the creation of a “new normal” in Northern Ireland, with the implementation of “the most extreme abortion regime across these islands”.
“As a Church with a strong pro-life position we want to make clear that this is not only an affront to democracy, but also to the sacredness of life.
“Finally, it is ironic that these services have been commissioned by the Secretary of State in the run up to Christmas – a time when we remember that a baby was born who went on to change the world in ways that continue to unfold. It is devastating to think that, as a result of this announcement, there are many other babies who will never have an opportunity to realise their full potential. It is not too late for Mr Heaton-Harris to do another U-turn,” he said.
The Catholic Church also blasted the move to commission services, as it reiterated the Church’s opposition to abortion.
Archbishop Eamon Martin, primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh, said the urgency to commission abortion facilities is “undermining the principle of devolution” at a time when support and help for the most vulnerable, including children and families impacted by the increased cost of living, “is lacking”. He added that the undermining of the right to life of the unborn was a form of “abhorrent and indefensible prejudice”.
“Westminster seems determined to impose, against the clear will of a majority of people here, the undermining of the right to life of unborn children including an abhorrent and indefensible prejudice against persons with disabilities, even before they are born,” Archbishop Martin said.
“The abortion regulations being introduced by Westminster are predicated on the assumption that the unborn child in the womb has no right to love, care and protection from society, unless the child is wanted. Nothing could be further from the truth”.
He said that “the Catholic Bishops of Northern Ireland remain committed to working with all sectors so that a culture of life and care becomes a reality for all.”
It comes after it was revealed that the number of abortions taking place in the North have increased sharply since the imposition of Westminster’s abortion law.
4,136 abortions have been carried out from March 2020, according to figures obtained by Traditional Unionist Party leader Jim Allister in October this year. That compares to just 65 abortions being carried out in Northern Ireland between 2014 and 2019, marking a staggering 6,263% rise in the number of abortions being carried out in the province in the space of just two and a half years.
The figures relate to the period up to 22nd September 2022.
The statement from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland can be read in full here.