Cardinal asks British government to allow review of abortion law

Published: 2006-06-22

LONDON (CNS) -- Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster has asked a top British government official to allow a review of the country's abortion laws. Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor met privately in London with Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt June 21 to ask that the 1967 Abortion Act be scrutinized by a parliamentary committee. Hewitt had rejected calls from politicians for a vote to decrease the time limit for legal abortions, now allowed until 24 weeks, following opinion polls that revealed the majority of women are uncomfortable with current laws. Cardinal Murphy-O'Conner said in a statement after the meeting that "there is substantial and growing disquiet in Britain at the numbers of abortions. Our laws should reflect this disquiet," he said. "I welcome what appears to be a moral awakening, especially among women, to the reality that abortion is the deliberate ending of a human life.

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