Cardinal cuts links with Amnesty

The cardinal had been a member of Amnesty since he was a student

Scotland's most senior Roman Catholic has resigned from Amnesty International in protest at its new stance on abortion.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien said the human rights group's new position on the issue contravened the "basic right to life" of unborn children.

Amnesty recently moved to back abortion in certain circumstances after previously holding a neutral stance.

The cardinal had been a member of Amnesty since he was a student.

Amnesty's international council voted earlier this month to campaign for woman to have access to abortion in cases including rape and incest.

The policy change has already led to calls from senior members of the Catholic Church in Britain and the Vatican for a withdrawal of support from the organisation.

I have shown my desire along with my Church to defend life in all its aspects Cardinal Keith O'Brien

In a letter to John Watson, the director of Amnesty International in Scotland, Cardinal O'Brien wrote that the move had forced him to reconsider his membership.

He added: "As a matter of conscience and with great sadness I have decided to resign from Amnesty International having first joined as a student and supported it over many decades.

"Throughout my priestly ministry and more recently as archbishop and cardinal I have shown my desire, along with my church, to defend life in all its aspects."

Mr Watson said he was sorry to hear that Cardinal O'Brien had decided to resign his Amnesty membership, as there were many more issues on which they agreed.

He added that the cardinal had a right to express his opinion in whatever way he felt appropriate.

However, Mr Watson said the cardinal's claims that Amnesty was heading a campaign for a "universal right to abortion" misrepresented its position on the issue, adding that the policy agreed at its international council meeting did not promote abortion as a human right.

'Personal trauma'

He added: "Our position on the matter of abortion has been informed by our work in, for example, Darfur where rape is used systematically as a weapon of war.

"Rape victims who fall pregnant suffer their own personal trauma but are also rejected by their communities.

"These women must not be abandoned by the international community."

Mr Watson said he hoped Catholics would respect Amnesty's position, even if it was in contrast to the official view of the Catholic Church.

He added: "We encourage the Catholic Church not to turn away from the suffering that women face because of sexual violence and urge the Catholic leadership to advocate tolerance and respect for freedom of expression for all human rights defenders."