A Scottish Catholic bishop wrote a passionate letter to his fellow Catholics this week, urging them to speak out against the growing threats to human life.
Bishop Stephen Robson of Dunkeld, Scotland wrote the letter for Scotland’s Day for Life on May 31, the Scottish Catholic Observer reports. The letter also coincides with the release of new data showing that unborn babies with disabilities are being aborted at higher rates than in the past in Scotland.
“At present, human life in the womb is not well protected, leaving unborn babies at risk of losing their lives to abortion, and mothers to the damage of abortion,” Robson wrote.
He continued:
“Vulnerable people such as the disabled, elderly and frail are increasingly in danger from pressures to introduce assisted suicide or euthanasia. Campaigners have been relentless in pursuing their aim of introducing such laws. Worryingly, there is a broad coalition and considerable political support for extending the threats to life including extending abortion to birth for any reason.
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“Even more worryingly, as the culture of death has grown the right to conscience is also becoming increasingly eroded.”
Though abortion rates are dropping across the world, there also is a growing push to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in western cultures. Some European countries allow euthanasia, even on children, and six states and districts in America allow doctor-prescribed suicide. Canada now allows people to be euthanized, too.
In Scotland, abortion numbers dropped to 12,063 in 2016, about 2,000 fewer than the peak in 2008, according to the report. However, the new abortion data indicates more unborn babies are being aborted because they may have a disability.
Bishop Robson urged Catholics to stand up for the people whose lives are at risk, whether by euthanasia, assisted suicide or abortion.
“We as a Catholic people, supported by the bishops of Scotland, will always speak out on behalf of the sanctity of every human life wherever it is threatened, from conception to natural death, and we urge all people of good will to do likewise,” he wrote.
