It’s a historic episode for Ireland: on December 13, the Irish Parliament passed the bill legalizing abortion (voluntary interruption of pregnancy). A project that the Irish population had validated by referendum at 66% in May 2018.
This is a major step forward for Ireland, which, though deeply Catholic, seems to be gradually taking a softer line on its old prohibitions. Let’s not forget: Ireland, with its strong Catholic identity, has long legislated the laws of society in accordance with its religious precepts. Homosexuality, abortion, blasphemy… All this was strictly forbidden and punishable by law until recently…
For example, abortion has been prohibited under the Irish Constitution since 1983. A dramatic situation, which led up to 4,000 Irish women a year to travel to the UK to terminate their pregnancies. But the flight of patients abroad was not the only problem encountered. For example, the refusal of certain doctors to perform abortions in Ireland would have endangered women whose state of health was not compatible with pregnancy. Public opinion reacted strongly to the death of an Indian woman living in Ireland, who had been refused an abortion following a miscarriage in an Irish hospital.
This tragedy set off a firestorm, encouraging Irish women to take to the streets in protest. A strong and powerful mobilization, which seems to have got things moving.
Just over 200 days ago, you, the people of Ireland, voted to repeal the 8th (amendment to the Constitution) so that we treat women with compassion. Today we passed the law that will turn (this wish) into reality. said Simon Harris, Ireland’s Minister for Health.
A memorable step forward that follows on from other equally noteworthy advances, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage. An evolution that increasingly attests to the emancipation of the Irish population from the Catholic Church.
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