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WORLD NEWS Monday 28 May 2018

Some Irish Catholics worried, dismayed

after abortion vote

By GREGORY KATZ stand against repeal, but will make new laws to gov-
Associated Press hadn’t been able to sway ern abortions.
DUBLIN (AP) — Irish Catho- people. The referendum vote end-
lics attending Sunday Mass “I am religious but the ed a harsh anti-abortion re-
were disappointed with Church has definitely lost gime enacted in 1983 that
the result of a referendum influence here because required doctors to regard
in which voters opted to of the scandals,” she said. the rights of a fetus, from
legalize abortion and think “The people will not take the moment of concep-
it reflects the weakening of direction from the Church tion, as equal to the rights
the Church — a situation anymore. It’s hard for the of the mother.
that was unthinkable in Ire- Church to have credibility.” In practice, it meant Irish
land a generation ago. Recent census figures show women had to travel Counting of votes begins in the Irish referendum on the 8th
There was no mention of a small decline in the num- abroad for terminations. Amendment of the Irish Constitution, in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday,
the referendum during ber of Catholics in Ireland, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar May 26, 2018.
the sermon at St. Mary’s but it remains by far the hailed the vote as bringing Associated Press
Pro Cathedral, but it was dominant religion. a new era to Ireland. to vote, but was also high minate pregnancies to
weighing heavily on the Frank Gaynor, a 75-year- He said it will be remem- among every age group go abroad for abortions,
minds of some worshippers old retiree, said after the bered as “the day Ireland except those 65 or older. bear children conceived
as they left the Mass in cen- Mass that he never imag- stepped out from under Since 1983, the Eighth through rape or incest, or
tral Dublin. ined the vote in favor of the last of our shadows and Amendment had forced take risky illegal measures
Ireland voted by a roughly abortion rights would be so into the light. The day we women seeking to ter- at home.q
two-to-one margin Friday lopsided. came of age as a country.
to end a constitutional ban He said he was troubled The day we took our place
on abortion, and parlia- by the way the “yes” cam- among the nations of the
ment is expected to ap- paign used the case of world.” His government will
prove a more liberal set of Savita Halappanavar, a propose that abortions be
laws governing the termi- 31-year-old dentist who permissible in the first 12
nation of pregnancies. died of sepsis during a pro- weeks of pregnancy.
Some worshippers said longed miscarriage after It isn’t yet clear what strat-
the overwhelming victory being denied an abortion egy abortion opponents
of abortion rights activ- in Galway in 2012, to drum will use in parliament in light
ists seeking the repeal of up support for repeal. of the unexpectedly large
the Eighth Amendment of “I was disappointed to see vote in favor of repeal.
the constitution reflects a the tragic death of Savita Some opposition figures
weakening of the Catholic being shamelessly used as have indicated they won’t
Church’s historic influence an excuse for introducing block legislation because
and fills them with dread for abortion into a country,” they must respect the pub-
Ireland’s future. he said. “That was a sepsis lic will.
“I think the ‘yes’ vote was issue that was mishandled. The decisive outcome of
an anti-Church vote,” said Not an Eighth Amendment the landmark referendum
Annemarie McCarrick, re- issue.” was cast as a historic vic-
ferring to the “yes” vote in He felt alienated by the tory for women’s rights. Exit
favor of ending the consti- campaign: “It’s extraor- polls indicated that the re-
tutional ban. dinary the way the cam- peal was endorsed in ur-
The 52-year-old lecturer paign focused so much ban and rural areas alike,
said on the cathedral on ‘me, me, me,’ the rights with strong support from
steps that a series of sex of the mother, and very both men and women.
abuse scandals had un- little mention of the unborn Backing for repeal was
dermined the influence of child. That was sidelined.” highest among young vot-
the Church in Ireland. She With the vote decided, ers, including many who re-
said the Church had in re- attention is turning to Ire- turned from jobs or univer-
cent weeks taken a “quiet” land’s parliament, which sities in continental Europe