Bishops thank Malta's delegates at CoE

Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech yesterday expressed their appreciation to the position on the abortion issue taken by the Maltese representatives at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The representatives are opposing a motion, due to be discussed today, calling for the decriminalisation of abortion and the further lifting of restrictions in countries where abortion is already legalised.

The bishops emphasised that the first fundamental human right is the right to life and that it is one's duty to defend the life of every human being from the first moment of its existence. "Abortion is not a choice but murder; abortion is not a right but a negation of the right to life; abortion is not beneficial, neither for society nor for the mother herself," the bishops said.

They appealed to the rapporteurs of the Council of Europe to be objective in what they propose for the consideration of the members, present fact as facts, comments as comments and what is debatable as debatable.