MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT FOR UNBORN BABIES
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Date: 21st May 2014
Contact: Bernadette Smyth
Tel: 07956451655 / 02890278484
Northern Ireland's leading pro-life group Precious Life has welcomed the recent statements by the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference (ICCB) and the Pastrol reflection letter by Bishop Noel Treanor which has been issued ahead of the forthcoming European Parliament and local council elections tomorrow.
Referring to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”, the statement reiterated the need for “a greater penetration of Christian values in the social, political and economic sectors, and a real commitment to applying the Gospel to the transformation of society.” To this end, it urged all those eligible to vote, do so with an informed conscience and in a way which moves away from “an individualistic, indifferent and self-centred mentality” and towards the promotion of a common good shared by all.
Commenting, Director of Precious Life, Bernadette Smyth said “The statement from the ICCB is right to underline the importance and need for people to vote with a well-informed conscience. We have been asking people to do precisely this in our pre-election road-shows which have been taking place right across the North.
The Precious Life Director also acknowledged the courageous work done by many Catholic leaders in their efforts to promote Church teaching on the sanctity of life.
She said, “In his recent pastoral reflection, Bishop Noel Treanor singled out the right-to-life as one of four of the most significant issues for Catholics to consider when informing their conscience and deciding how to vote. There are other priests and religious too who are speaking out in the defence of innocent human life. Nobody could misinterpret the importance of Fr Tim Bartlett’s words when he too spoke earlier this week on Radio Ulster in defence of the right-to-life. It is my sincere wish that Catholics will listen to the Holy Father Pope Francis. I hope they will listen to what people like Bishop Treanor and Fr Tim Bartlett are saying and I hope this means they will vote with an informed conscience and in a way that protects innocent human life from the horror of abortion.”
We have been raising awareness of the serious threat of abortion being imposed on Northern Ireland from the European Parliament and, because of this very real threat, we have been encouraging people to vote only for politicians who express and support a clear and unambiguous pro-life view.”
In conclusion, Bernadette Smith said, “The statement quoted His Holiness Pope Francis when he spoke of the “dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good” as concerns which ought to shape all economic policies. We in Precious Life believe firmly that this can only be done by voting exclusively for those politicians who uphold the sanctity of all human life equally and without arbitrary discrimination. This is why we say to everyone, please vote pro-life!”
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