Socialists win pro-abortion vote

The Socialist and Green members of the European Parliament succeeded last Wednesday to approve a pro-abortion report presented by a commission, chaired by a Belgian socialist, after a heated debate.

The Rome-based Catholic news agency, Zenit, reported that "Socialist and Green deputies rose in prolonged applause after the vote was tallied (280 votes in favour, 240 against, with 28 abstentions). The European Popular Party voted against the report."

The report, among other things, asked member and candidate countries to introduce abortion in their countries. The presentation of the report brought with it, last week, a reaction in Malta. The Maltese bishops showed their concern and asked for prayers that the vote would be a negative one; the Maltese government assured the bishops that the European Parliament has no powers in this matter and that the government was dead set against the introduction of abortion.

The reaction of several in the Labour Party was to try and manipulate the bishops' statement to frighten people into believing that abortion was part of the membership package. It is not known what steps, if any, were taken by the Maltese socialists to try and persuade their socialist colleagues to throw out the report.

The reaction of the European bishops was immediate and firm.

In a press statement, the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) clarified what was left unsaid in Malta: "This report will not change the legislation or policy of the European Union, its member states or the accession countries."

The European bishops also said that it is regrettable that the report obscures such grave questions "by a number of polemical assertions based on the questionable conclusions of what the report itself admits is inadequate research.

"We especially regret that the report calls for abortion to be made legal and for the morning-after pill to be made more accessible in all member states and accession countries," the bishops continued.

"The Catholic Church considers the health of all women, men and children, at all stages of their life, to be of the utmost importance. It advocates a holistic approach based on a combination of medical care, education and personal responsibility, and supports this through hospitals, schools, community centres and other projects," they explained.

In their statement the European bishops were careful to clarify matters so that no mistaken impression is given that this resolution has some binding powers. They clearly said:

"The European Union has no powers or responsibilities regarding abortion or any issue related to the delivery of sexual and reproductive healthcare. These issues remain the exclusive competence of the member states, as was confirmed by David Byrne, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, during the debate on this report in Parliament on Tuesday.

"While this principle is also recognised in the first paragraph of the report, it is contradicted in the rest. It is regrettable and inappropriate that the Parliament should seek to influence the policies of not only member states, but also accession countries, in an area for which it has no responsibility."

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