Archbishop Eamon Martin has said TDs who knowingly vote in support of abortion were acting in "cooperation with evil" and could not reconcile this with their faith.

Archbishop Eamon Martin has said TDs who knowingly vote in support of abortion were acting in "cooperation with evil" and could not reconcile this with their faith.

A range of amendments to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill will be considered in the Dáil ahead of a vote which is due to take place at around

10pm.,

More than 160 amendments have been tabled.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Archbishop Martin, who is Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh, made what he described as a "last-minute appeal" for TDs to reconsider supporting the bill.

"Whatever happens in this vote, the direct and intentional killing of any person is always gravely immoral," he said.

"Knowingly, willingly and intentionally voting to promote abortion which is the killing of an innocent child is cooperation with evil and cannot be reconciled with your faith".

He called on TDs to reflect on the enormity of today's vote and said: "This bill will make it permissible, legally, for the killing of an unborn child or the disablement of an unborn child."

He said the bill would "fundamentally change the whole culture of medical practice in Ireland".

Dr Martin also said that talk of TDs being ex-communicated was a distraction from the substantive issue, but he said that supporting the deliberate taking of human life was "immoral".

Most TDs were more concerned at this time with being "ex-communicated from their own party," he said.

For full article here go here:  RTE News - Archbishop Eamon Martin on abortion legislation