Arrivederci Amnesty

ITALY'S Conference of Catholic Bishops has called Amnesty International's decision to campaign for abortion as a human right "astounding."

Criticizing the organization's recent decision to promote abortion, the President of the conference Monsignor Angelo Bagnasco said: "These are departures that warn us further of the dangerous erosion afflicting human conscience."

With the customary response to the mounting criticism leveled at the organization, an Amnesty International spokesman said that AI was not trying to argue that abortion is a human right, but as has been discussed in previous posts, this argument is based on semantics. The organization has stated that it believes abortion to be a woman's right and that as a "human rights" (unfortunately, we must now use quotation marks when appending this phrase to AI) organization, it should champion that right. Many AI supporters of the new policy are happy enough to accept that AI is now advocating abortion as a human right, as are the opponents of the new policy; however it is AI's press officers and leaders that have a problem with the term, believing it will generate bad publicity among supporters and potential members. The organization has yet to reveal the details of their two-year consultation process.

Last week the Australia's Bishops condemned Amnesty's move; the US and Canadian bishops have also criticized the organization and several prominent members of the British Catholic clergy have resigned their membership of the organization, urging Catholic members to reconsider whether or not they can continue to support a pro-abortion AI.