Ireland&#39;s Leading Bishop Unsurprisingly Dedicated His Annual Christmas Message to Protecting EmbryosS

Last week, the Pope dedicated his annual Christmas address to denouncing gay marriage. Not to be outdone, the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland called for a campaign against abortion in his own cheery Xmas message.

Some background: Ireland recently announced that it will legalize abortion when the mother's life is at risk. In response, Cardinal Sean Brady urged followers to lobby politicians, who must remember "that the right to life is conferred on human beings, not by the powerful ones of this world, but by the Creator."

He also said that "Public representatives will be asked to decide whether a caring and compassionate society is defined by providing the best possible care and protection to a woman struggling to cope with an unwanted pregnancy or by the deliberate destruction of another human life."

Again: Ireland isn't even legalizing abortion. It's legalizing abortion in cases where the mother might die. In that case, as in the tragic one of Dr. Savita Halappanavar, who died because doctors wouldn't terminate her pregnancy, wouldn't "the best possible care and protection" mean not making sure women don't die? Do women count as humans?

"I hope that everyone who believes that the right to life is fundamental will make their voice heard in a reasonable, but forthright, way to their representatives," he continued.

We hope so too — by urging politicians to one day give all women the agency to make their own reproductive choices.

[Belfast Telegraph]