Tomorrow in Mexico City, Amnesty International is expected to approve an abortion-rights policy at its biennial conference; the policy was adopted this past spring.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented as follows:
“Responding to criticism from the Vatican, as well as from American bishops, Amnesty issued a news release on June 14 saying that it does not promote abortion as a ‘universal right’ and ‘remains silent on the rights and wrongs of abortion.’ More recently, Kate Gilmore, Amnesty’s deputy secretary-general, has criticized the Catholic Church’s opposition, holding that ‘our purpose invokes the law and the state, not God.’
“This is simply dishonest. While it is true that Amnesty has thus far withheld support for abortion as a universal right, the very fact that it has—for the first time—engaged this issue (on the pro-abortion side) means that it has broken its silence. Regarding Gilmore’s remark, it is disingenuous to pretend that abortion is a religious matter: it is a human rights issue.
“In 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 3 of which says, ‘Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.’ Article 25, section 2, reads, ‘Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.’ In 1959, the same body issued the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and in the Preamble of Resolution 1386, it explicitly says, ‘Whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth….’ (Our emphasis.) And in 1989, the same entity proclaimed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, stating in Part I, Article 6, that ‘States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life.’
“In short, Amnesty International has betrayed its mission by violating the most fundamental right of all—the right to be born. Practicing Catholics should withdraw their support of this phony organization.”
