The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill — the first legislation allowing abortion in the Republic of Ireland — passed its second stage by 138 votes to 24.

Abortion is currently illegal in Ireland but the bill would allow abortions to take place where there is deemed to be a risk to the life of the mother, including if there is a threat of suicide.

Four politicians who defied their leader, Prime Minister Enda Kenny, by voting against the bill have been expelled from the governing Fine Gael Party and told to vacate their offices.

A Sinn Fein politician also defied his party, and a Sinn Fein spokesman said this was regarded as a serious breach of party rules and he would face unspecified disciplinary action.

The Sinn Fein politician, Peadaar Toibin said: "It is with great sadness that I have had to separate from my party on this, but I cannot vote for a medical evidence-free bill that will result in the death and disablement of children."

Just hours before the vote, Cardinal Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, appealed to Fine Gael politicians to rebel against Mr Kenny.

"In practice, the right to life of the unborn child will no longer be treated as equal. The wording of this bill is so vague that ever wider access to abortion can be easily facilitated," said Cardinal Brady.

In an earlier statement, the cardinal said: "This bill will provide the widest possible legal justification for deliberately and intentionally destroying the life of the unborn child, with no time limits and no mechanism for ensuring that the right to life of the unborn is adequately vindicated as required by Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution. In practice, the right to life of the unborn child will no longer be treated as equal."

Sources:

BBC

Catholic Herald

Zenit

Image: BBC

Archbishop Martin said "I know it's not fashionable today to talk about Commissions but I do really believe that an independent Commission of investigation into the activities of Brendan Smyth, as to how he was allowed to abuse for so many years," should be set up.

It would look "north and south" at " church and state." He felt this would be in the public interest so that the full story would be told "and not the bits and pieces which either an investigative journalist or diocesan investigation," would uncover.

That Fr Smyth was allowed to hear confessions in the Kilmore Diocese from 1984, the Archbishop commented, "I find it very hard to justify, but I believe that the only way we'll really get to understand that is if we have one global independent investigation…I believe that until all of this story in its entirety comes out we are not doing justice to those who were abused and we're not really getting at the truth…"

Concerning Cardinal Brady's role as a notary in the initial investigation into Smyth in 1975, he said "I don't know what the relationship between him (Brady) and the bishop was. I don't know what the bishop did (or) what he knew the bishop did. Looking back at the Dublin inquiry I've seen that these are complex questions and I wouldn't like to judge a person on things that I don't know…..it'd be unfair of me to make that judgement."

Cardinal Seán Brady has welcomed the call for an independent inquiry into Fr Brendan Smyth's abuse of children in Ireland and elsewhere over a 40-year period.

A spokesman for the cardinal said that he "welcomed and supported" the proposal made by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin.

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"I wish to express my profound disappointment at this decision which means that Ireland will be without a resident ambassador to the Holy See for the first time since diplomatic relations were established and envoys were exchanged in 1929. I know that many others will share this disappointment", said Brady.

"I hope that despite this regrettable step, the close and mutually beneficial co-operation between Ireland and the Holy See in the world of diplomacy can continue - based on shared commitment to justice, peace, international development and concern for the common good."

Brady said he looked forward to a time when the Government will again appoint a resident ambassador to the Holy See and that it will happen as soon as possible.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said the announcement was made with the "greatest regret" and said that although the embassy was one of "Ireland's oldest missions" it yielded "no economic return".

As part of cost-cutting plans, Ireland is also closing the embassy in Iran and a representative office in Timor Leste, formerly East Timor.

Gilmore said due to EU targets to help restore public spending the Government had "been obliged to implement cuts across a wide range of public services" and "no area of government expenditure" was immune.

"The Government believes that Ireland's interests with the Holy See can be sufficiently represented by a non-resident ambassador," he said.

He added he would be seeking the agreement of the Holy See to appoint a senior diplomat to the position.

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, said, "The Holy See takes note of the decision of Ireland to close its Embassy to the Holy See in Rome.

"Naturally, every state that has diplomatic relations with the Holy See is free to decide, on the basis of its possibilities and its interests, whether to have an Ambassador to the Holy See resident in Rome or in another country. What's important are the diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the states, and these are not in question with regard to Ireland."

The decision to shut the Irish embassy to the Vatican comes after the Papal Nuncio, the Vatican's representative in Ireland, was recalled in July following the impact of the Cloyne Report into clerical abuse. Mr Gilmore insisted the closure was not as a result of the report's controversy.

According to the minister, the Irish government will not sell Villa Spada - the Irish embassy in the Vatican - but instead staff working in the embassy to Italy will be transferred there.

The grand building is the most expensive property owned by the Irish diplomatic service.

The annual saving from the closures is thought to be around £1.4m a year.

Sources

• Belfast Telegraph
• Vatican Radio
• Catholic Herald
• Image: FaithWorld