Indian Church criticises Amnesty for reviewing its abortion policy
Mumbai (AsiaNews) The Indian Church said it is surprised and worried by Amnesty International's decision to consult its international members to review its hitherto neutral policy on abortion.
"Amnesty International has been a credible organization which was always known for protecting human rights of all, more particularly of weaker sections of the society," said Mgr Oswald Gracias, chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI).
"If the much-respected organization adopts a pro-abortion policy, it would mean that Amnesty International is bidding good-bye to human rights, which has been its hallmark for over forty years," the archbishop said.
Amnesty International's current policy on abortion declares, "Amnesty International takes no position on whether or not women have a right to choose to terminate unwanted pregnancies; there is no generally accepted right to abortion in international human rights law."
Amnesty International has expressed its intention to take a stance by the end of 2007 on whether to adopt a new position that would favour the "decriminalization of abortion", and "legal, safe and accessible abortion in cases of rape, sexual assault, incest, and risk to a woman's life." Amnesty is contemplating changes to include a policy on sexual and reproductive rights" to include "legal abortion" as an international human right.
"The Catholic Church believes that in the case of a rape and the incest, no doubt that the human rights of the victim are violated, but it does not take away the right of the unborn child. In the case of mother's life being in danger, the Church's position is that both the mother and the child have equal rights to live. Efforts should be made to save both lives. One cannot posit an act which takes away the right of either the mother or the baby," Archbishop Gracias explained.
According to the prelate, who is also the archbishop of Agra, "we need to appreciate and uphold the much-acclaimed UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child which states, 'the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth."
Similarly, "we need to endorse the Church's point of view which upholds the human rights of all, even of the unborn child."
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