Irish priest resigns from hospital board over new abortion policy

October 02, 2013

A prominent Irish priest has resigned from the board of Dublin's Mater Misericordiae University hospital, following the hospital's announcement that it would allow abortions in compliance with Ireland's new law.

Father Kevin Doran told the Irish Catholic that he left the governing board because "I can't reconcile my own conscience with thee statement, largely because I feel a Catholic hospital has to bear witness." In August, after the new law was enacted, Father Doran had stated that Mater hospital could not comply with the legislation, saying that the Catholic institution "can't carry out abortions because it goes against its ethos."

Dublin's Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has asked Mater hospital to clarify the September statement in which the hospital promised to observe the new law. But a hospital spokesman told the Irish Catholic that there would be "no elaboration on the statement."

 

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Further information:

• Priest resigns from Mater Hospital over abortion stance (Irish Catholic
• Fr Kevin Doran resigns from Mater Hospital board over new abortion law (Irish Independent)
• Catholic hospital in Ireland to perform abortions (CWN, 9/26)
• Catholic hospital cannot comply with new Irish abortion law, says priest on governing board (CWN, 8/7)