Scottish Catholic Observer

The Scottish Catholic Observer has earned a reputation over the last 127 years for championing issues of social justice. Rarely though, will the doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on poverty and wealth, society and the role of the state— otherwise know as ‘human rights’—have been tested to the extent that is it is now in the pro-life field.

On the one hand, Independent MSP Margo MacDonald is reviving her bid to make the Scottish Parliament legislate in favour of legalising assisted suicide and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) has decided to allow adverts encouraging women to have an abortion to be shown throughout the UK on television. On the other, experts in their fields have spoken out in support of the Scottish Catholic midwives who have taken their landmark case to court claiming NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has infringed their civil right to conscientiously object to supervising staff involved in abortions.

The good news is that Church representatives and pro-life advocates have been prompt and united in their condemnation of another Scottish consultation on assisted suicide and have also spoken out against the BCAP decision to allow for-profit abortionist to advertise on broadcast media, calling on campaigners to lobby their elected representatives to reverse the decision.

On the downside, the danger of the legal precedent that would be set if the Catholic midwives lose their case, and the health board wins, cannot be underestimated. As Professor Valerie Fleming, former professor of midwifery at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: the International Confederation of Midwives’ new competencies have seven domains, the newest one being that of the midwife’s role in abortion.

“There are many countries in which there is no conscience clause,” she warned. “This means that those who oppose abortion on religious, or other grounds cannot become midwives.”

Is that the scenario we face in Scotland, not just for midwives but for our entire community? As Catholics, are we being denied the right to exercise our ‘conscience clause?’ Even if we live in a post Christian society, we cannot allow speaking up for Christian values to sink from being normal, to being unfashionable or, if we are not very careful, unacceptable. The danger is here and now, as is the time for action.

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The Holy Father’s message for World Communications Day was released on Tuesday, the feast day of St Francis de Sales, the patron of journalists. Aside from the SCO’s professional interest in his message on the need for silent contemplation in a world of constant communication, Pope Benedict XVI’s qualified blessing of Twitter, Facebook and the wider social media was insightful.

“Social networks… can help people today to find time for reflection and authentic questioning, as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the Word of God,” the Pope said before warning ‘as long as those taking part in the conversation do not neglect to cultivate their own inner lives.’

Like so many other aspects of modern life, new media is a tool that we must be careful not to misuse to the detriment of our spiritual development, responsibilities and relationships.