The Catholic Church has urged Assembly candidates and parties not to back abortion in any circumstances

The Catholic Church has urged Assembly candidates and parties not to back abortion in any circumstances.

A letter signed by the Catholic bishops — including All Ireland Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin — also told voters that there are “no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family”.

It comes amid ongoing debate on whether a law banning abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities (FFA) should be lifted in Northern Ireland. The bishops wrote: “The next Assembly term will see further pressures being brought to bear on politicians to introduce abortion to Northern Ireland.

“The moral issue here is not whether what is proposed is abortion ‘on demand’ or some form of so-called ‘limited’ abortion. From a moral point of view, there is no such thing as ‘limited’ abortion.”

The bishops also encouraged voters to ask candidates: “What will you do to protect and support family and marriage and in particular the natural institution of marriage between one man and one woman as the fundamental building block of society?”

Belfast Telegraph