I attended the first ever Munster Rally for Life in Cork on Saturday February 27th. The large crowd assembled on The Grand Parade, Cork at 2pm. Pro-life supporters attended in large numbers from as far afield as Limerick, Waterford, Clare and Kerry.
The rally was a celebration of life and calls were made for the continued protection of mothers and babies from abortion. There were calls to keep the 8th amendment which protects the lives of both mother and baby equally. Be pro woman – pro baby – pro-life!
The rally was preceded by Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul, presided over by Bishop John Buckley, Bishop of Cork and Ross Diocese. Bishop Buckley in a pre-election statement challenged abortion advocates’ to have so-called ‘fatal foetal abnormalities’ in babies’ grounds for abortion.
I read Breda O ‘Brien in her weekly column in The Irish Times on Saturday, February 27, 2016 where she made the point; “Fatal foetal abnormality’ is a hurtful and damaging term. As adults, we know that names are not only hurtful, but can be used to label, exclude and in some cases, dehumanise. No sensitive person, she writes, would ever use the “N” word for a person whose ancestors were of African origin, or call a person with developmental delay a retard. And yet we use ‘fatal foetal abnormality’ without feeling it is in any way insensitive, inaccurate, disrespectful or damaging. This adds to the already devastating pain felt by families with a much-loved baby with a life-limiting condition”.
The 8th amendment to our constitution states – “The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.”
This makes our country the best safe place for babies and mothers; let’s keep the 8th.
