More than 200 Church of England clergy, including a number of bishops, have signed a letter describing abortion up to birth as “a dangerous change”.
Last week the House of Commons voted to remove legal penalties for women who abort their babies beyond the current legal limit of 24 weeks. In practice, the proposed law, which still needs to pass the House of Lords, will allow abortion up to the point of birth.
In the letter, which has been seen by The Telegraph, the clergy said that unborn children were “deserving of compassion and… [need] protection under the law”. They also warned that should unrestricted abortion become law then both women and their unborn children will be “at even greater risk of harm than previously”.
Opponents of the change have suggested that the removal of criminal sanctions will also effectively remove deterrents for dangerous late term and “back-street” abortions.
The letter says, “As many elected politicians move further away from the Christian moral values that have hitherto shaped much that is good in our national life, our concern is that the vulnerable and voiceless are increasingly overlooked.”
The letter also warned of the dangers of women being coerced into abortions, particularly in cases where sexual or domestic abuse are factors. They also highlighted the dangers of at-home abortions, which are now easier than ever thanks to the “pills-by-post” scheme, allowing women to conduct abortions without even meeting a medical professional in person.
The clergy concluded, “All of this makes for a dangerous change which we believe, far from protecting women, places pregnant women and unborn children at even greater risk of harm than previously.
"It is our sincere hope that this legislation will be further modified in the House of Lords to protect those who are vulnerable.”
Signatories of the letter included the bishops of Chichester, Birmingham, Lincoln, Rochester and Blackburn.
