Australian bishop urges Amnesty International to reverse new policy on abortion

Sydney, Australia, Sep 13, 2007 / 08:55 am

The president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson, says its not too late for Amnesty International to reverse its new policy promoting access to abortion.

Archbishop Wilson said Amnesty’s shift away from a neutral stance on abortion is deeply regrettable.

“Catholic people have had a long association with Amnesty International, going right back to its inception and the two bodies have been closely aligned in their commitment to social justice,” he said.

But Amnesty’s new position on access to abortion is “at odds with the Catholic understanding of the dignity of the human person and sexuality,” he said.

“In adopting this position, Amnesty has moved to a concept of human rights founded not upon the good of the human person, but simply upon the autonomy of the individual.

He noted that some Catholic school groups have withdrawn from membership of Amnesty as a result.

Archbishop Wilson said he had written two letters on behalf Australia’s Catholic bishops during the past year, urging Amnesty International to abandon the policy change.

“It is not too late for Amnesty International to take stock of the damage being caused by this change of policy and to return to its former neutral stance on abortion,” he said. “I would urge them to do so.”