No family pet would be operated on by a vet without approval

The Right Reverend Joseph Devine, Bishop of Motherwell, has taken a stand against what he described as “immoral” government policy, which allows girls under the age of 16 to have abortions without the knowledge of their parents.

Bishop Devine spoke of the court’s decision saying: "No family pet would be operated on by a vet without approval from a parent in the household."

He continued: "Yet their 13-year-old daughter is not afforded the same parental care and support as she prepares to undergo a traumatic abortion."

The pro-abortion group Marie Stopes International responded by saying that the rights of a teenager, where different to those of a pet.

Devine said that: "The inconsistency and hypocrisy of the government is breathtaking."

He continued by saying: "On the one hand, as part of its respect agenda, the government quite correctly demands greater accountability from parents for the actions of their children. It then adopts a conflicting position by keeping parents in the dark about their teenage daughter's abortion plans.

The Bishop of Glasgow, the Most Reverend Mario Conti, has also written a pastoral letter condemning the moral decline of society. 65,000 copies of the letter have been prepared and will be sent this weekend to the 500 Catholic churches in Scotland, as well as to Catholic households.