Amnesty International is the new victim of ‘reckless’ Vatican blackmail

The Vatican is threatening Amnesty International with major financial consequences if it does not reverse its abortion policy. Amnesty's new position wants to give women access to abortion when their health or human rights are in danger.

Cardinal Renato Martino, the Vatican's so-called “justice minister”, accused Amnesty of "betraying its mission" and said "individuals and Catholic organisations must withdraw their support" from the group.” Martino told an American Catholic newspaper that by taking its new stand on abortion, Amnesty had "disqualified itself as a defender of human rights… To selectively justify abortion, even in the cases of rape, is to define the innocent child within the womb as an enemy, a 'thing' that must be destroyed."

But Amnesty hit back at the Cardinal’s accusations. Its deputy general-secretary, Kate Gilmore said: "The Catholic Church, through a misrepresented account of our position on selective aspects of abortion, is placing in peril work on human rights." She said Amnesty was not promoting abortion as a universal right but stressing that women have a right to choose abortion when their human rights have been violated, particularly in cases of rape and incest. "We are saying broadly that to criminalise women's management of their sexual reproductive rights is the wrong answer," she added. "We live alongside people's life experiences. We don't run a theocracy. We have to deal with the rape survivor in Darfur who, because she is left with a pregnancy as a result of the enemy, is further ostracised by her community."

Ms Gilmore said: "This is not about abortion as a right but about women's right to be free of fear, threat and coercion as they manage the consequences of rape and human rights violations. If the cardinal had been in Darfur and stood between (rape victims) and the stones being thrown at them, let him then talk again about whether or not Amnesty has the integrity to stand firm for human rights.”

Gilmore accused the Vatican of unjustly trying to "excommunicate" Amnesty but said Amnesty will "continue to campaign for the protection of the Catholic Church" in areas where it suffers discrimination. "We defend the right of the Church to address moral beliefs. But a human rights project is to address the state, the rule of law and to create an environment in which people can make moral choices as individuals," she said.

Amnesty International was founded by a Catholic convert in 1961 and has always retained a strong following within the Church but that could change following the decision to endorse abortion and the call for a boycott.

Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, said: “Amnesty is one of the most important and respected international organisations on the front-line of protecting human rights. Cardinal Martino’s call to boycott the group is reckless and destructive. In trying to achieve his narrow aims, he is putting at risk the future of one of the most effective safeguards against human rights abuses we have. Catholics of real conscience should disregard his advice.”

If you want to support Amnesty in its struggle against the Vatican bullies, visit the website and find out more.