QUEENSLAND Catholic hospitals could be forced to disobey the law as a flow on from proposed changes to abortion laws in Victoria, a leading Catholic bioethicist has warned.
The Abortion Law Reform Bill, which will be put to the vote in Victoria’s Legislative Council this week would, if passed, remove the right of Catholic hospitals to conscientiously object to referring for and possibly performing abortions.
Queensland Bioethics Centre director Ray Campbell told The Catholic Leader if the Bill was passed, a push for similar laws was likely in other Australian states, including Queensland.
Mr Campbell said it was important for Queensland Catholics to follow the Victorian situation closely.
He also encouraged all Catholics to join in prayer today as part of Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart’s Day of Intercession to defeat the Abortion Law Reform Bill.
“The proposed Bill is dictatorial in its removal of the rights of doctors and nurses to exercise conscientious objection to abortion.
“Such a bill, if passed, could also have implications for even greater liberalisation of abortion around Australia.
The proposed new Victorian abortion laws, which have passed the state’s lower house and will be put to a vote in the Legislative Council this week, have caused an outcry in Church and medical circles.
Catholic Health Australia (CHA) has been reported in the national media as threatening to withdraw medical services from its 15 hospitals in Victoria.
Archbishop Hart also recently wrote to members of Victoria’s Legislative Council saying that Catholic maternity hospitals and emergency departments would not be able to operate in their current form if the Bill was enacted.
Catholic hospitals account for about one-third of all births in Victoria.
Doctors in Conscience Against Abortion Bill, a group of Victorian doctors from many or no religious beliefs, have opposed the changes.
The Australian Medical Association is also opposed to mandating doctors’ clinical practice.
A Mater Hospital spokesperson said the organisation fully supported the views of Catholic Health Australia and that the Victorian situation was being closely monitored.
