Church ups the ante on Ireland's abortion bill

BELFAST: A strong collision seems inevitable between the government and the Church of Ireland with the Catholic Church on Saturday threatening to excommunicate members who vote for the abortion legislation in its current format.
The death of Savita Halappanavar after she was refused abortion because it isn't allowed in Catholic Ireland saw the Irish cabinet reach an agreement earlier this week on a proposed "Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill" that, for the first time, includes the credible threat of suicide as grounds for a legal termination in the Republic.
An anti-abortion vigil saw Cardinal Sean Brady urging 5,500 people at the rally to lobby their politicians over a draft abortion bill.
Catholic bishops have branded changes to Ireland's strict abortion regime as morally unacceptable saying "if approved it would make the direct and intentional killing of unborn children lawful in Ireland."
Speaking to TOI, a senior official from Northern Ireland's first minister's office said:
"In Northern Ireland 45% of the population are Catholics while 48% are Protestants. They are historically divided but when it comes to the issue of abortion, they come together as one. Northern Ireland is socially a conservative society."
Meanwhile activists wanting the government to ease abortion services are risking up to 14 years in prison by carrying out an information campaign designed to help 11 Irish women per day who travel to Britain for terminations.