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Second Catholic bishop steps into abortion debate

Bishop Joseph Devine has entered the abortion debate by writing to every Scottish MP urging them to vote for a bill which would make women seeking an abortion undergo mandatory counselling.

The Bishop of Motherwell has written to the MPs ahead of tomorrow's Commons vote on a private member's bill which would also impose a seven day cooling-off period to allow women time to make up their minds after receiving advice.

Catholic parliamentarians in particular will be under intense scrutiny as it will be the first vote on abortion since Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Scotland's most senior Roman Catholic, warned Catholic politicians should not take holy communion if they support the legislation in its current form.

In a sermon last week marking the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act, he warned Catholic politicians of "the barrier such co-operation (on abortion) erects to receiving holy communion".

Tomorrow, a 10-minute rule bill will be introduced by Ann Winterton, the Conservative MP for Congleton in Cheshire, calling for mandatory counselling for pregnant women before any abortion and a seven day cooling-off period.

In his letter, Bishop Devine said if the bill is successful it would "ensure those vulnerable, often desperate women are fully, professionally and sensitively informed about all aspects of their circumstances, including the dangers to their physical and mental health that an abortion may entail".

He said a change in the law is needed to ensure women are not "bounced into having an abortion because they are in a state of panic without considering the alternatives".

He claimed recent research has shown that women who have abortions suffer twice the level of mental health problems and three times the risk of depressive illness than those who have never given birth.

Full story at The Herald.