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Bishop whips up abortion opposition

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Bishop whips up abortion opposition

3News NZ

Catholics are being urged to help prevent the spread of a "culture of death" in opposition to a new abortion service at Southland Hospital (file pic)

Catholics are being urged to help prevent the spread of a "culture of death" in opposition to a new abortion service at Southland Hospital (file pic)

Catholics are being urged to help prevent the spread of a "culture of death" in opposition to a new abortion service at Southland Hospital.

In a letter to be read at church services on Sunday, Dunedin Catholic Bishop Colin Campbell said the pleas of many people had gone unheeded by Southern District Health Board management.

He said every human being had an inviolable right to life.

"The directly intended killing of any innocent human being is always wrong. Let us continue to pray and raise our voices in the private and public arena."

Pro-life group Southlanders for Life is laying a complaint with the Ombudsman, citing a lack of public consultation by the board.

The group said in a statement the board had tried to sneak in the controversial service.

"We're shocked that there has been no information or consultation whatsoever with the public on this important matter of considerable public interest. It's clear that the management has tried to sneak this new and controversial service into Southland with no communication with the general public and the general hospital staff."

Southland chief medical officer David Tulloch said in a statement the service, which was due to start last week, would ensure that women having terminations had adequate access to the procedure in their own area.

Abortions were provided by district health boards throughout New Zealand but Southland women had had to travel to Dunedin.

The number of procedures would depend on referral numbers from doctors.

"The board had a discussion around the process undertaken by management and clinicians to initiate termination of pregnancy services at Southland Hospital and determined it was collectively satisfied that the board followed the correct process."

Pro-choice campaigner Alison McCulloch told Radio New Zealand the Catholic church was missing the point and the board was required by law to provide the service.

"We have to remember this is not a new service as such and all this is doing is setting up a service closer to where the women live."



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Comments

28/08/2012 1:42:07 p.m.

Craig Young wrote:

I hope dissident Catholics and liberal Protestants down in Southland make their voices heard on the side of women's reproductive choice. The anti-abortionists don't own Christianity, any more than the homophobe opponents of same-sex marriage do.

4/08/2012 10:28:26 p.m.

Paddy wrote:

I think people stopped listening or caring what religious figures have got to say on ANY subject a long time ago. Most people live in the real world, not some idyllic fairytale world. Each individual, WILL make up their own mind on what the best course of action is for their individual circumstance, (and rightly so), and the likes of the bishop and anyone else that think that those personal decisions that people are faced with in their lives, are anyone else's buisness but their own, can go and sing hyms, or do whatever they think they need to do to get over it, and stop moralising, and telling other people what's best for them.

4/08/2012 9:26:58 p.m.

Brian wrote:

Yah to Bishop Colin.

4/08/2012 8:15:07 p.m.

george wrote:

I am sorry but until the Catholic Church allows contrapception and will deal with the endemic abuse in its own clergy they have no right to push their views on the rest of the world. Sort out your own house first!!

4/08/2012 6:41:59 p.m.

Dave wrote:

I wish these Catholic priests were as vocal about all the child abuse done by Catholic priest as they are about abortion.

4/08/2012 6:06:44 p.m.

JC wrote:

Not only is abortion immoral, but in most cases it is illegal, as confirmed by our courts. The church has a moral duty to campaign against the killing of unborn children.

There is moral outrage and campaigns against the abuse and killing of mere dozens of babies and infants, but what about the ten of thousands of babies murdered before delivery? Do people have no empathy for them?

4/08/2012 4:52:26 p.m.

PVM wrote:

Everyone is entitled to their opinion except the person who is killed by the abortionist.

4/08/2012 4:10:21 p.m.

Jane wrote:

Their is too little support for women wanting to keep their babies. Men need to support their partners and women will be best with the baby and to make the life changes they need to. Abortion is intrinsically dangerous to our children ( who have a right to their own lives) to women and to men. There will be hard times for the unplanned pregnancy but in the long run it is our human dignity at stage and at all times the human challenge for people to be responsible humans. I support the anti abortionists wholeheartedly.

4/08/2012 12:39:22 p.m.

bukster wrote:

Everyone in this article is entitled to their opinion. The problem is that this isn't one of those, "live and let live" type issues. If you don't like abortion, it usually isn't good enough to just not have an abortion yourself and let others make their own decision on this issue. An anti abortion person isn't happy if anybody is having a abortion anywhere ever and feel the need to stop it.