The Reality of Life between Conception and Birth.
Protecting Human Life.
“We would ask you to consider carefully the reality of what happens in the life of each human being, between conception and birth.
There is no moment as developmentally significant as the moment of fertilisation, in terms of defining the beginnings of personal existence.
There is no logical or scientific basis for considering, on the one hand, a born child to be a person with all the rights that this involves and, on the other hand, an unborn child to be a non-person.
The distinct identity of a human individual is already present once fertilisation has taken place.
Everything else is simply the process of growth and development of a person who has already embarked on the journey of life.
For us, as Christians, there is no conflict between faith and reason. Just as reason leads us to recognise the continuity of every human life, from fertilisation to natural death, so faith allows us to see each person as having his or her origins in the intention of God and his or her fulfilment in eternal life.”
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"Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) has a particular vision which is based on respect for the right to life of every person. We believe that the deletion or amendment of this article can have no other effect than to expose unborn children to greater risk and that it would not bring about any benefit for the life or health of women in Ireland. We encourage you, therefore, as members of the human family, to work actively towards keeping the right to life in the Constitution, in the name of equality, fairness and compassion for all."
(Extracts from a Statement of the Irish Bishops, March 2018)