IRISH EYES When Irish eyes were smiling, they sure stole one’s heart away, but no more, at least for now. First came the country’s financial disaster and more recently the Savita setback. This time, allegedly, the Irish abortion law stole Savita’s life away. The Irish Supreme Court’s ruling is to the effect that a window to the privilege of human rights in critical times needs to stay open. In other words it means that a blanket ban on abortion must be lifted in life threatening situations. But the Irish government has paid scant attention to it, thus leaving the medical fraternity to wonder, whether to jump in the deep blue sea or to stay afloat with the devil. At the heart of this problem lies the diktat of the Catholic Church which, by itself does not seem to be fully grasped by governments that follow it. And, understandably so. While Pope John Paul II said: “I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is a deliberate killing of an innocent human being”, there are others in the hierarchy that beg for that open window to remain open. So dilly-dallying is the order of the day. In this context but on a co-related issue involving the Vatican’s ruling, let me quote a passage out of my book - SIMPLY MY WAY: ‘The age-old Papal obstinacy on the use of condoms seems to have developed cracks at last. Whereas the church vehemently opposed sex by using contraceptives, for pleasure or profit, His holiness has now gone around this issue only to stop short of an ‘open sesame’ to sex. The caveat is that he does not morally justify condoms in immoral sexual conduct”. And that again leaves the followers of the Church in a similar quandary as that of the Irish doctors that ended a dentist’s life. Bennet Paes
