“Attempting to introduce a supposed right to abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union would gravely endanger the right to conscientious objection”, said Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), at the end of yesterday’s meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and with the President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). COMECE reported in a statement that the President of the EU’s Catholic Bishops “expressed the concerns of the Catholic Church for the way the issue of abortion is treated at the EU level”. On 8 June 2022, COMECE expressed concern and “surprise” at the resolution passed by the European Parliament which, in light of the situation in the US, describes abortion as a “right” while also urging the US and EU countries to not undermine women’s rights to termination of pregnancy, by guaranteeing safe access to abortion. “We would like to reiterate that from a legal perspective – the Secretary General of COMECE, Fr Manuel Barrios Prieto, explained at the time –, there is no recognized right to abortion in European or International Law. Therefore, no State can be obliged to legalize abortion, or to facilitate it, or be instrumental to perform it”. In particular, the EU Bishops noted “with high concern and regret the negation of the fundamental right to conscientious objection, which is an emanation of freedom of conscience”. “We are alarmed that the right of health institutions to refuse to provide certain services, including abortion, is weakened or, even, denied”.
The European Parliament is expected to hold another debate and pass a new resolution on the issue of abortion in the US legislation at the plenary in Strasbourg next week.