The issue was discussed at the general meeting of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference, which ended yesterday at St Patrick’s College in Maynooth.
The bishops said in a statement they were “deeply concerned” about “any intention” to legislate for abortion in Ireland.
The bishops also dismissed the X case as a basis to move forward on the issue.
“In that judgment, the court unilaterally overturned the pro-life intention and the will of the people in the 1983 referendum. It heard no psychiatric evidence. It implied that abortion was an answer to suicidal ideation, whereas current research indicates that suicidal ideation rarely relates to a single cause and that abortion itself can lead to suicidal ideation and mental health difficulties. The 2010 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights can be satisfied by appropriate guidelines clarifying existing best practice in our hospitals.”