Ireland votes to repeal abortion ban, drawing disappointment from pro-life groups

“Abortion was wrong yesterday. It remains wrong today,” states the Save the 8th campaign. “The constitution has changed, but the facts have not…”

A woman religious casts her ballot May 25 in Dublin as Ireland held a referendum on its law on abortion. (CNS photo/Alex Fraser, Reuters)

Dublin, Ireland, May 26, 2018 / 10:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Exit polls released on Saturday morning are projecting the repeal of the abortion ban in Ireland, a decision pro-life groups are calling tragic and disappointing.

“The result of today’s referendum is a profound tragedy for the Irish people and the entire world,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, in a May 26 press release.

“While other Western nations including the United States acquiesced to the extreme abortion lobby, Ireland has been a shining beacon of hope for its strong defense of unborn children and their mothers,” Dannenfelser continued, adding that “we are filled with sorrow at this outcome.”

A statement from the Save the 8th campaign, a group which fought against the legalization of abortion in Ireland, called the vote a “tragedy of historic proportions,” but commended those who stood up for the right to life, saying “we are so proud of all those who stood with us in this campaign.”

The campaign additionally noted that they would continue fighting for the right to life in Ireland, saying that “every time an unborn child has his or her life ended in Ireland, we will oppose that, and make our voices known.”

“Abortion was wrong yesterday. It remains wrong today. The constitution has changed, but the facts have not,” the statement continued.

Exit polls by the RTÉ are projecting 69.4 percent of citizens voted against keeping the Eighth Amendment in the Republic of Ireland’s constitution, while 30.6 percent voted to keep it, according to the BBC.

80 percent of the votes have been counted, according to the New York Times, but official results are expected on Saturday evening.

On May 25, Ireland held a referendum on whether to repeal the country’s Eighth Amendment, which recognizes the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn child. Under current law, the practice of abortion in Ireland is illegal, unless the mother’s health is deemed to be endangered.

The Eighth Amendment was passed in Ireland in 1983, with upwards of 67 percent voter-approval. It reads, in part: “The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.”

Several Irish lawmakers had previously said that if the referendum successfully repealed the eighth amendment, they would propose legislation allowing unlimited abortion up to three months into pregnancy, and up to six months into pregnancy in cases where there might be risk to a mother’s physical or mental health.

Despite the high percentage of the population – 78 percent – that identifies as Catholic, polling was split in the weeks leading up to the vote.

On March 9 the Irish bishops had released a pastoral message on the right to life, entitled “Two Lives, One Love.”

They warned that changing the Irish Constitution would serve no purpose other than to withdraw the right to life from some categories of unborn children.

“To do so would radically change the principle, for all unborn children and indeed for all of us, that the right to life is a fundamental human right,” they said.


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20 Comments

  1. “Despite the high percentage of the population – 78 percent – that identifies as Catholic”

    So, “identifies,” not actually *is*, if it involves anything like, y’know, actually doing anything other than paying lip service.

    • I realize that I should have specified that this of course does not apply to all the Catholics in Ireland. I am just so horrified by this vote that I overgeneralized.

  2. It’s a great day for the abortion band, U2, though. I am sure they will be very happy now that babies will die.

  3. I very much looked forward to a 4 week visit to Ireland next year. Cannot say that now, Ireland is off the list and should be boycotted. Will have to look for a life friendly place to visit in 2019, perhaps Poland.

  4. Pray for the unborn. Although I would never be a Roman Catholic I do support the right to life of unborn sons and daughters that are killed before they can speak or even breath air. This is a sad day in Ireland where the 3% of rape and incest cases has pushed Irish voters to vote for all cases of pregnancy to threaten the life of an unborn child when mothers are manipulated into thinking their careers and economic social status is more important that their daughters and sons.

    I don’t agree with the Roman Catholic Church that non abortive prophalactics should not be used to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Health clinics in Ireland and everywhere should offer condoms and other forms of birth control at very reasonable or no cost to all.

  5. Referenda are used to give cover of officiality to the progressive agenda.

    Almost as infallibly as death and taxes.

  6. Don’t give up on Ireland quite yet. Perhaps the will of the church is not that of the people? The real question remains how do we change the Irish thinking? I see no mention of the young 30 year old dentist who was denied an abortion and died. I see no word on the fact that Irish women must leave Ireland even to have the abortion to save their lives.

    Former Surgeon General Everett Koop replied to one of my emails on ectopic pregnancy by saying that in all his experience he has never witnessed a pregnant woman whose life was threatened? With all deference, the good doctor ignores the reality of the times. Not every woman can be a normal delivery mother.

  7. This is partly due to the result of two generations of Catholic Children who have been served pap rather than catholic education and formation. No sense of spiritual urgency, the soul etc. Look at the current syllabus of religious education and it is pitiful. This is the othernside of the priestly abuse scandal..negelect and abdication of religious education into the hands of liberals.

  8. Ah….MorganB

    Never takes the time for research but instantly grabs the nearest straw man.

    Try looking into the matter before you post.

  9. With Ireland’s leader(s), wanting to bring in thousands or millions of muslims (rumor?), it is NOT surprising that they are voting this way. Just one of MANY countries, that are now under satanic influence. Ireland is gone…it’s just incredibly sad…what a beautiful country it…was.

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