Archbishop supports O'Brien on abortion

Published on Sunday 3 June 2007 00:52

THE Archbishop of Cardiff yesterday gave his backing to the head of Catholics in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who last week hit out at politicians who support abortion.

Peter Smith said that Cardinal O'Brien - who described the effect of abortion as "two Dunblane massacres a day in our country going on and on" - was reflecting "the general teaching of the church".

The Archbishop agreed that Catholic politicians who vote in favour of abortion should remove themselves from receiving Holy Communion.

He suggested he would not personally refuse communion to an MP who voted for abortion, but said the politician involved should not seek it.

"The church's law is quite clear," he said. "A priest or bishop is not permitted to refuse communion unless it is clear the person has been excommunicated or there is a very public rejection of church teaching.

"The pastoral reality is, as the Pope said recently, that if a Catholic politician clearly goes against the church's teaching, they ought to remove themselves from receiving communion, because it would be a cause of great scandal.

"Because the Eucharist is about the unity of the church and fostering that unity, then there is a danger that unity would be very badly broken."

Archbishop Smith rejected the argument that Catholic politicians represent constituents of all faiths and none, and must reflect their opinions when voting on issues like abortion.

"A politician in these circumstances has a real difficulty, which I can appreciate," he said. "But this is a question of a fundamental human right to life - which we all have and on which all other rights are based. If a politician said, 'I must go along with the majority view of my constituents' then he ought to consider his position both as a Catholic and a politician."

Asked whether he agreed with Cardinal O'Brien's comments, he responded: "All the Cardinal was saying was the general teaching of the church on this, that if somebody - whether a politician or anybody else - co-operates with abortion, then in a sense they exclude themselves from receiving communion."

The Archbishop said it would be acceptable for Catholic politicians to vote for a reduction in the maximum period of pregnancy for terminations. Even though this would result in abortion remaining legal, it would be right for Catholics to support legislation to cut the number of terminations, he said.