House of Commons approves decriminalizing abortion throughout pregnancy in England and Wales

The Chamber of the Commons of the British Parliament approved on June 17 an amendment that decriminalizes abortion in England and Wales during the nine months of pregnancy, a decision that has received the rejection of the Catholic Church and Provida organizations.

It is a Amendment to the bill on crime and policepresented by the parliamentarian Laborist Tonia Antoniazzi, who received 379 votes in favor and 137 against. Now you must continue your process in the House of Lords until your final vote.

Currently, in England and Wales abortion is allowed until 24 weeks gestation.

The decision of the Chamber of the Commons has been criticized by organizations such as Right to Lifewhich regretted that a matter of this type has been approved with a debate of only two hours.

He warned that, if also approved by the House of Lores, abortions would no longer be illegal for any reason, included by sex selection, and could be practiced “at any time even and during childbirth, which would probably lead to a significant increase in the number of women who perform dangerous late abortions in their homes.”

In that sense, the British organization said it will continue to fight “against this amendment at each stage of the House of Lords.”

For his part, Mons. John Sherrington, the principal bishop of life issues of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of England and Wales, said that the Catholic Church is “deeply” alarmed by this decision. “Our concern arises from our compassion for mothers and fetuses,” he said.

In statements Published by the EpiscopateMons. Sherrington said that this amendment will make pregnant women “even more vulnerable to manipulation, coercion and forced abortions.”

However, the archbishop encouraged not to lose hope and assured that the Catholic Church will continue “working tirelessly to protect the dignity of each life.”

“We will not abandon pregnant women or their children not born at their most vulnerable time. I thank all those, inside and outside the Church, who share this commitment and continue to serve the parents needed and their babies,” he said.

The Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC), He also rejected the decision of the deputies.

Alithea Williams, responsible for Spuc’s public policies, said the current abortion law “allows the murder of approximately 300,000 babies per year.”

He said that “a recent survey revealed that 62 % of the population agrees that ‘illegally aborting should continue to be a crime to protect both the unborn and vulnerable women who could be forced to lose the baby they wanted, for example, by a mistreating couple.”

“Only 5% support to expand the abortion period until birth. We demand that the House of Lords dismiss this antidemocratic and brutal proposal as soon as we reach them. We will never accept a law that endangers women and deprive them of all rights to not born,” he said.