The leader of Roman Catholics in the Isle of Man has spoken out about the proposal to reform abortion laws in the Isle of Man.

Reverend Monsignor John Devine, Dean of the Catholic Church in the Isle of Man, has written to the Chief Minister about his views.

His letter distances himself and the church from the more militant stances taken by some objectors, who used graphic images on placards in their demonstrations against reform.

He says they are not speaking on behalf of the Church.

’Attempts to shock the public in the street with explicit material not only reinforces that impression, it also allows those with whom we seek a reasoned and compassionate debate to dismiss our genuine and legitimate concerns as the extreme views of a "lunatic fringe", which is not the case.’ he says.

And he acknowledges the difficulties women face when they go through an abortion operation.

’Every abortion is an act of desperation,’ he says.

The Roman Catholic Church has a long tradition of opposing abortion.

Monsignor Devine outlines many of his reservations about the proposed reforms and balancing the ife of the mother with the life of the child’.

Having passed the first two readings, the Abortion Reform Bill entered the clauses stage in the House of Keys this week.

The bill, if successful, will allow abortion in the island up to 14 weeks on request and up to 24 weeks for certain medical reasons.

It will replace the Termination of Pregnancy (Medical Defences) Act 1995, which only allows abortion if ’it is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman’, a risk of ’grave permanent injury’ or if a foetus is ’unlikely to survive birth’.

A freedom of information request has revealed that since October 11 2011 a total of 39 abortions have been carried out in the island under this law.

The Examiner this week received a copy of Monsignor Devine’s letter, printed in full below to Chief Minister Howard Quayle.

Dear Chief Minister

I write with some diffidence on a sensitive topic: abortion.

Last Sunday I spoke at all Masses at St Mary’s and St Anthony’s churches about the Abortion Bill currently being debated in Tynwald.

I made my concerns clear with a line by line analysis of key points in the draft Bill and recommended that parishioners ponder these concerns and make them known not only to their MHKs but also to family, friends and colleagues.

I also expressed my concern at the methods adopted by many of those opposing the Bill which I consider to be counterproductive.

I stated that these protestors cannot presume to speak on the Church’s behalf.

People who have abortions are not murderers and are not bad people.

Speaking from over 40 years’ experience as a priest, working as a chaplain in at least four different hospitals, I have learned that every abortion is an act of desperation.

The Catholic church wishes to be supportive of those who find themselves contemplating an abortion whatever decision they take.

Similarly, politicians proposing changes to legislation on abortion are not bad people either but individuals attempting to do what is right.

Our search to find the truth, I told parishioners, can never be about making the rest of the world wrong so that we have the satisfaction of being right.

That is a characteristic of the Pharisee.

I am concerns, however, with aspects of the proposed legislation - particularly factors cited in justification of abortions beyond 14 weeks and even more so beyond 24 weeks.

Premature babies delivered at 24 weeks can now survive.

Some of the situations envisaged in the Bill do present a genuine moral dilemma - balancing the life of the mother against the life of the child. None of these decisions are easy.

Others are more concerning, such as citing ’serious social grounds’ or ’impairments like to limit either the length or quality of the child’s life’ as justification for a late abortion.

The former could be cited if an unplanned pregnancy was considered to be inconvenient.

The latter is already being used in the UK to abort children diagnosed with Down’s syndrome or even cleft palate, a condition routinely corrected surgically at a later date.

The Catholic church has a poor track record on sexual morality (e.g. child sexual abuse, and the treatment of unmarried mothers).

We can legitimately be accused of double standards, if not hypocrisy.

Attempts to shock the public in the street with explicit material not only reinforces that impression, it also allows those with whom we seek a reasoned and compassionate debate to dismiss our genuine and legitimate concerns as the extreme views of a ’lunatic fringe’, which is not the case.

Please be assured of my prayers as you make difficult decisions on our behalf.

Yours sincerely

John Devine