Brights News Feed

The Catholic hierarchy has in the last few months raised criticism in Scotland, South America and in Italy due to increased “moral” or political meddling over various issues. Its most recent act of pontification (as it were) is over Amnesty International’s refusal to concur with the papacy’s demands on abortion policy. The president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Renato Martino, last week encouraged Catholics to withdraw support from Amnesty because the organization advocates the decriminalization of abortion in cases where rape or abuse for example have taken place.

The Cardinal said “By pushing for the decriminalization of abortion as part of their platform, Amnesty International has disqualified itself as a defender of human rights”, and he suggested that Catholics should withdraw financial support from the internationally respected human rights lobby group.

Interestingly the backlash has come not only from Amnesty, and other human rights campaigners, and secularists concerned about undue religious intervention in humanitarian matters, but from many ordinary Catholics increasingly disenfranchised from the hierarchy. Ekklesia, for example, carries a typical response from one Catholic.

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A 17-year-old woman from Ireland known only as Miss D had been told by the Health Service Executive (HSE) that she needed permission to travel abroad because she was seeking an abortion, which is against the law under almost all circumstances in Ireland, where many political and legal debates retain heavy Catholic influence. Miss D is four months pregnant and the foetus has anencephaly and will not survive long after birth. Even this does not constitute legal ground for abortion in Ireland.

Today the High Court ruled that the HSE’s decision that Miss D could not travel abroad for an abortion was entirely without merit and that no such law restricting her right to travel existed. Mr Justice Liam McKechnie also rebuked the HSE for trying to shoehorn her case into a model which they (falsely) believed necessary in order for her to travel abroad — they had advised her to claim that she was suicidal. The Justice praised Miss D’s moral stance of refusing to comply with the request and her courage in the face of her ad hoc travel ban.

Also see RTE News.

UPDATE (11 May): And Joan Bakewell has an astute comment piece in the Independent.

The International Campaign Against Honour Killings (ICAHK) reports a large demonstration yesterday in Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, against so-called “honour” killings, and against the large mob-murder of one young woman, Du’a Khalil Aswad, in particular. Hers is only one story; the UN has already recorded 40 such “honour” killings in the Kurdistan region over a three-month period this year.

ICAHK’s full story follows, of the tragic circumstances which led to her death and the brutal nature of the murder itself. The ICAHK are running a petition to the Kurdistan regional government, here.

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The Anglican Communion has agreed a deadline of September 30th, for the Episcopalian churches in the US to step into line with wider Church doctrine. They are called upon to stop the practice of blessing same-sex unions, and to change the policies which led to the appointment of the first woman bishop. Widely regarded as an “ultimatum” to the Episcopalians, the move represents a hardening stance on the part of the Church authorities, in order to prevent a split with the more demanding Churches of Asia and Africa, which are fiercely set against the liberal Episcopalian line. It also represents a climb-down for Archbishop Rowan Williams, whose previously more liberal views have become politicized by the pressures of keeping the Communion together.

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A few weeks ago, when Anglican archbishops backed Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor over the issue of Catholic adoption agencies, I wrote in jest: “The Anglican leadership temporarily un-schismed with the Catholic Church, last night…” Now it seems the idea is actually not so far from the truth.

Yesterday The Times (UK) broke the story that — in response to the teetering fragility of the Anglican Communion over the issue of gay clergy and women bishops — the Church really is considering how a reunion with Papal authority might be established (”Churches back plan to unite with the Pope“).

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Chancellors do it. Home Offices do it. Now, is the Church of England also indulging in the practice of “burying bad news”?

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In a reversal of her earlier decision, primary school teacher Khadija Ravat has pulled out of Channel 4’s controversial “Alternative Christmas Message” broadcast. (Earlier coverage here.) In a Channel 4 press release she said: “My initial thoughts about the programme were that it would be a fantastic opportunity to do something positive and to convey a warm message for everyone to share. However, after careful consideration, I have decided not to appear on the programme.”

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By a huge majority the lower house of parliament in Pakistan has voted to repeal a 1979 law which made rape a matter solely of Sharia law. This had meant that raped women could be tried for adultery unless they could produce four usually male witnesses to an alleged rape. Of course this greatly reduced the number of successful prosecutions against rapists, effectively decriminalizing rape. The Bill now awaits Senate approval. Amid resignations and threads of non-cooperation, the opposition Islamic alliance — the MMA — is threatening national protests, angry at the “curtailment” of Islamic law.

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A mentally disabled, young Argentinian rape victim was initially denied the right to abort her preganancy by courts, last month. The decision to deny the victim’s right was taken despite the fact that her circumstances — even in “pro-life” Argentina — are considered extenuating grounds for an abotion. This raised significant debate (New Zealand Herald: “Argentine court okays abortion for rape victim“):

Both Argentina’s health minister and its most powerful governor publicly backed the abortion, while Catholic groups decried their support for a “culture of death.”

A higher court in Buenos Airies did overrule the earlier judgement. But then the hospital refused to carry out the procedure (LifeNews.com: “Argentina Doctors Won’t Do Abortion on Raped Teen After Court Authorizes It“), claiming that:

In this case we’re already past the stage of abortion. It’s an advanced pregnancy.

The deadline, after which the pregnancy is considered too “advanced”, had lapsed by one week.

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