Sr Andrea in the Observer

A brief piece featuring Sr Andrea appeared in the Observer a few weeks ago, amid discussion of the HFE bill. Sr Andrea gives the ‘religious view’ as part of a larger collection that included the ‘medical view’ and first hand, if generally fairly one-sided, testimonies from women who’ve had abortions.

Sr Andrea’s part is pretty good, though the opening line “Sister Andrea Fraile devotes her life to persuading pregnant women not to have an abortion…” is perhaps not how we would have chosen to phrase it, but on the whole it’s a bit more balanced, a rather more accurate than most of the media coverage we receive.

You can read the whole article here.

HFE Bill Petition

A petition has been launched on the 10 Downing St website to allow a free vote on the HFE bill.

There is a tradition when dealing with matters of conscience that MPs are not whipped. This is particularly true when it comes to human embryos. When the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill was considered by Parliament the (then) government allowed free votes on all matters up until the final vote.

The joint committee on the draft Human Tissues and Embryos bill recommended that this approach be adopted for questions over embryology and the role of fathers, but the Brown government has said that free votes will only be allowed on abortion.

This decision suggests that there is no room for conscience and conscientious objection in our politics. If the government is genuinely concerned about voter apathy and alienation it should demonstrate that British politics caters for conscience and conscientious objection through free votes.

You can sign the petition here.

An easy way to write to your MP about the bill is by using Write To Them.

For more information about the bill you can look at resorces provided by:

• Passion for Life
• The All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group  or
• SPUC

It is imperative that we take immediate action against this bill which seeks to even further devalue human life.

HFE bill talk in Paisley Diocese

Very short notice but this evening (at 7pm) Fr Dan Fitzpatrick will be giving a talk on the Human Fertilisation & Embryology at St Joseph’s & St Patrick’s on Shore Rd, Wemyss Bay. If you’re in that area we urge you to go along.