It is with great sadness, but not
surprise, that the Ancient Order of Hibernians read of a U.K. Court of
Protection’s decision to order an abortion for a developmentally
challenged woman despite the protests of the woman and her mother. While
we are relieved that a superior court has subsequently intervened to
overturn the ruling, we are still burdened with the question of how did
we get here? That the state came so close to terminating an unborn,
innocent life over the objections of the Mother and Grandmother
validates the concern of the Hibernians and others who have cautioned
against legislation that intervenes in the right to life from conception
till natural death.
Opponents of abortion have long
counseled that it was a slippery legal slope and opened a doorway to
state-mandated terminations of the weak and defenseless; such arguments,
long ridiculed by abortion activists, have now been vindicated. Nor is
this the first time the U.K. Court of Protection has moved against an
intellectually disabled citizen, as the 2015 forced sterilization of a
36-year-old woman confirms. It is no coincidence that one of the
matriarchs of the abortion movement, and founder of the organization
that evolved into “Planned Parenthood”, Margaret Sanger, was an
ardent proponent of the very same eugenics we see in the
original court’s decision. We are surprised that those who have
euphemistically branded abortions as “A women’s right to choose” have
been conspicuously silent today when the choice of two women, this young
woman and her mother, is being overridden by the state; we anticipate
that they will now find their voice to say “let’s move on” to avoid
further debate.
We pray for this young woman, her
unborn child, and her mother. Furthermore, we hope that British
political leaders will further examine the safeguards and protections
guaranteed to women and children, while moving to update existing laws
to better reflect the best available science on fetal development and
pain reception. While the Ancient Order of Hibernians applauds the
quick action of the appeals court, we look forward to the release of the
court’s reasoning and pray that this heartbreaking situation serves as a
wake-up call as to the need for further protection of all human life.
In our Motto
Political Education, Pro-Life, and Catholic Action Committees
