Monsignor Jacques Suaudeau scientific director of the
Pontifical Academy for Life urged politicians to follow their conscience, in an
interview with The Irish Catholic newspaper: See Irish Examiner
Msgr. Suaudeau said,
“If the Prime Minister as a Catholic doesn’t want to impose his belief and the time has come for a more moderate line on abortion, then he resigns.”
“If you are faithful to your conviction, then you have to get out.”
His remarks coincided with the publication of the report of
the Oireachtas Committee on Health consisting of two volumes of evidence it heard over three
days on the Government’s proposed abortion laws.
Msgr Suaudeau, added that politicians should not hide behind
the claim that they are just doing their job.
“Sometimes people forget Nuremberg. You cannot cover yourself with the cover of party discipline,” he told The Irish Catholic newspaper.“Generally, if you are well-known and your party is proposing something that goes against your conscience you need to make it known, you need to speak.“Maybe they will ask you to abstain, sometimes people understand that you have an objection of conscience.”
Msgr Suaudeau also warned practicing Catholic politicians who
support the abortion legislation that they are pushing themselves out of the
church. He said they “cannot live in two houses” when it comes to the
contentious issue.
Msgr. Suaudeau’s remarks were not well received by the Irish
Government. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny who previously publicly criticized the last Pope Benedict XVI and
shut down the Irish Embassy to the Holy See, appears unwilling to make any
changes to his proposals. Kenny in a petulant response to Msgr. Suaudeau warned the Catholic hierarchy that
it should not interfere in Irish Government business.
“I’m a Catholic and I don’t interfere in the messages of the
Church.
“I have no comment to make on what the cardinal from the
Vatican says.
“I set out very clearly what it is we have to do in terms of
our constitution and the law, and that’s to provide clarity and decisiveness.
