Sir, - The Pro-Life Movement will welcome the plea by the Archbishop of Dublin, Desmond Connell, for a referendum on the right to life of the unborn. The current Government promised a referendum at the last election: "Let the Irish people determine our law on abortion." At that time, of course, they needed our votes.
Recently, the Church of Ireland Synod called for abortion legislation "in exceptional cases". In a statement it said: "No abortion is ever desirable - at most it can only be described as the lesser of two evils." However, the moral principle of the lesser of two evils cannot be applied here, as the unborn child is not an unjust aggressor.
The basic human right is the right to life. It should always be remembered that the unborn child is a human being with potential, not a potential human being. Abortion is the direct killing of human life, and is, in my view, gravely immoral. The fifth commandment of God says: "Thou shalt not kill." - Yours, etc.,
(Fr) Dominic Johnson,
OSB,
Glenstal Abbey,
Co Limerick.