Amnesty vs. the Vatican

The Roman Catholic Church argues that there can be no justification for abortion [AFP]

Anand Naidoo sits in for Riz Khan this week.

A woman’s right to have an abortion in certain circumstances has led to an international standoff between human rights group Amnesty International and the Vatican.

Previously, Amnesty, which was founded in 1961 by a Catholic layman, was neutral on abortion.

Amnesty’s new policy supports a woman’s right to a safe abortion in cases where her health is threatened, or in cases of rape or incest.

The Roman Catholic Church argues that there can be no justification for abortion, which it deems as murder.

Church leaders have warned that the issue could divide Amnesty’s membership and weaken its funding.

On Thursday we speak with Widney Brown, a top Amnesty International official, and Helen Alvaré, who was until recently the top pro-life official in the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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This episode of Riz Khan aired on 23 August 2007

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