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Cardinal calls for more powers to be devolved to Scotland |
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Monday, 11 June 2007 |
Head of the Catholic Church in Scotland Cardinal O’Brien has called for more powers to be devolved to Scotland, so that the country can address issues such as Trident and abortion.
O’Brien hit the headlines across the UK recently by comparing the
abortion rate in Scotland to two Dunblane school massacres per day, a
claim that caused outrage in many quarters.
O’Brien told Holyrood: “What I would like to see is more issues
devolved to Scotland. Powers over things like Trident is an obvious
one. Things like the laws with regard to abortion and so on. Tony Blair
promised ages ago that would be examined and the time limit for
abortions changed because of babies surviving longer in the womb and
that sort of thing but it hasn’t happened and I believe we should have
powers over that in Scotland.”
The cardinal also claimed that most people in Scotland backed his views on gay adoption and civil partnerships.
“People, I think, are innately conservative with a small ‘c’ in
Scotland. You know, so many of them like the stability which marriage
and family life brings to a community and brings to society and these
moves were a complete disruption of that. So many other things at this
present time seem to be a complete disruption of what we are used to in
Scotland.”
He also said that the promotion of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV
and AIDS in Africa encourages promiscuity and is debasing to women.
O’Brien was also keen to emphasise the “love and respect” approach to
sex education for young people. “I feel sorry for this young generation
growing up… We’ve really got to put the brakes on and start with the
youngest generations and give simple lessons in our primary schools of
what sex is all about, and it’s not what happened in the 1960s when the
pill came in and folk would do exactly what they wanted, when they
wanted and as you know, we are paying for all that freedom now and
regretting it.
“It is awful for me if I am out there coming back home from the
cathedral after a service or something like that and seeing youngsters
hanging about, drinking and knowing it won’t be long before they are
otherwise engaged, if you know what I mean - and not in a loving
relationship at all.
“It’s gone rampant and do we just dish out more condoms or more pills
or whatever and hope kids will somehow get the realisation that sex is
about a real, loving relationship with one woman or one man and live
true to that, despite the ups and downs in married life.”
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