One of Ireland’s top bioethicists has resigned from the board of directors and the board of governors of the Catholic Mater Hospital in Dublin over the terms of Ireland’s new abortion act, writes Sarah Mac Donald.
Fr Kevin Doran said that he resigned last weekend in what was “a personal decision based on my own judgement of conscience that I could not give my unqualified adherence to the act”.
The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act allows for abortion where there is a risk to the life of the mother, including a risk of suicide. That provision was strongly opposed by the pro-life movement. Fr Doran’s decision follows the hospital’s announcement last week that it would comply with the terms of the act.
A statement from the Mater declared that its priority is to be at the frontier of compassion, concern and clinical care for all its patients. It said: “Having regard to that duty the hospital will comply with the law as provided for in the act.”
Last August, Fr Doran, who is a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin, said that he believed the hospital would not comply with the act as abortion was contrary to its ethos. However, the Irish Government warned that while there is a provision in the act for individual conscientious objectors, there was no such provision for the 25 “appropriate institutions” named in the act as locations where abortions could be carried out. Fr Doran said that “the direct taking of the life of the unborn – as envisaged in section nine of the Act – is contrary to Catholic teaching.” He said while it was not the only concern he had with the act, it is the most serious one.
He added that along with providing care that reflects the healing ministry of Jesus, a Catholic hospital is called clearly to bear witness to gospel values among which are respect for every human life.
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