Harris’s anger over bishop’s criticism of modern birth control
SIMON Harris has hit out a bishop who claimed Catholic teaching on contraception has been ignored for too long in this country.
‘Please make it stop!’ the Health Minister tweeted in response to comments by the Catholic Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran, who told a Dublin conference this week that Christian values enshrined in the Papal encyclical, Humanae Vitae, had been forgotten.
The Health Minister responded angrily to the comments, taking to Twitter to insist that health and social policy in this country will no longer be dictated by religion.
Mr Harris wrote: ‘Religion plays an important role for many on an individual basis – but it will not determine health and social policy in our country any more. Please get that.’
Bishop Doran made the comments at an event marking the fiftieth anniversary of Humanae Vitae, an encyclical letter issued by Pope Paul VI that talks about
‘Contraceptive mentality’
‘responsible parenthood’ and the rejection of most forms of artificial contraception.
During his speech, the bishop called into question the effect that artificial contraception has had on ‘the dignity of women’, claiming it takes ‘away from women one of the principal motives or freedoms for saying no to unwanted sex’.
Responding, Mr Harris said: ‘Please just make it stop! Increasing access to & availability of contraception is and will remain public health policy.’
The provision of free contraception was one of a number of recommendations made by the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment, and Mr Harris has indicated he will follow through on that advice.
But he wasn’t the only Government politician to take issue with the Bishop’s comments.
Senator Catherine Noone, who chaired the aforementioned committee, also took to Twitter to state the Church has no place in the debate. ‘Long overdue that the Catholic Church is kept out of sex education– “the Principles of Humanae Vitae” – how about some empathy and basic common sense for people’s daily realities and struggles,’ she wrote.
‘We are in the process of bringing sex education into 21st Century and will not be deterred.’
Bishop Doran also remarked at the event that a ‘contraceptive mentality’ was to blame for the rise in support for marriage equality.
‘There is a very direct connection between the contraceptive mentality and the surprisingly high number of people who seem ready to redefine marriage today as a relationship between two people without distinction as to sex,’ he said.
Bishop Doran also hit out at IVF treatment, and insisted that ‘there is undoubtedly a place in schools for an appropriate presentation of the church’s teachings on human sexuality.
‘I think we have, again, problems to address there. Not least, having a very good quality, Catholic-inspired programme for relationship and sexuality,’ he said.