Meeting of Bishops' taskforce on pastoral responses to abortion


The Taskforce on Pastoral Responses to Abortion, established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, held its inaugural meeting in Sydney on Monday.

Announced after last month's Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Plenary, the taskforce will investigate ways of increasing financial and human support for those facing the dilemma of abortion.

Bishop Eugene Hurley, Chairman of the Bishops Committee for Family and for Life, chaired the taskforce's first meeting.

Other members include: Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney; Francis Sullivan, Catholic Healthcare Australia; Frank Quinlan, Catholic Welfare Australia; Mary Uhlmann, Catholic Women's League; Geraldine Hawkes, Commission for Australian Catholic Women; Dr Brigid Vout, Life Office, Sydney; Clare Pike, Life Office, Perth; Marcia Riordan, Life Office, Melbourne. Monsignor Absent were Monsignor Tom Doyle, National Catholic Education Commission and Sarah Taylor, Young Christian Workers.

Bishop Hurley said "I am delighted that the work of the task force is now underway and I look forward to it producing practical measures to help support women facing the dilemma of abortion."

Following this first meeting the taskforce members will review the measures and programs currently in place within the Church and her agencies to respond to the needs of women contemplating abortion.

SOURCE
Bishops taskforce on pastoral responses to abortion meet (Taskforce on Pastoral Responses to Abortion, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference 21/12/04)

LINKS
Life Office, Archdiocese of Sydney
Respect Life Office, Archdiocese of Melbourne
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Catholic taskforce to act on abortion (Sydney Morning HErald 26/11/04)

ARCHIVE
Bishops propose abortion alternatives (CathNews 26/11/04)
Life Offices urge continued public debate on abortion (CathNews 12/11/04)

MORE STORIES
Abortion Statistics Hyped, Says Argentine Group (Zenit 22/12/04)
Stand up for unborn on Innocents' Day (Catholic Weekly 26/12/04)
Post election 'abortion distortions' (Online Catholics 22/12/04)
Late-term abortions increasing (The Age 21/12/04)


24 Dec 2004