Church warned not to lobby against abortion

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has issued a thinly-veiled warning to the Catholic Church to refrain from lobbying politicians on abortion.

He said it would be a “retrogressive step if we were to go back to the days of the Catholic Church dictating to elected public representatives”.

While he had no objection to the Church making clear its position, he said he did not wish to see it running a political campaign. He was responding to comments by Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Seán Brady.