Bishop offers cash to save babies

By CATHERINE MASTERS

The Catholic Bishop of Auckland has pledged cash to help women "choose life" for their babies instead of abortion.

Bishop Patrick Dunn has given a personal undertaking to give every possible help, including financial, to girls and women undecided about the future of their unborn child. He says he will reach into his own pocket if necessary.

"I make this pledge to any woman regardless of creed or circumstances and without any conditions attached.

"It is a scheme that will allow women the right and freedom to choose life instead of death."

The bishop says he will not judge women who go to him for help but then still choose an abortion.

The initiative follows a similar one in Britain two years ago by the Archbishop of Glasgow, Cardinal Thomas Winning, who claims that 107 women have been helped not to abort their babies.

Cardinal Winning's scheme was dubbed a "cash for babies" scheme by the media when it was revealed that the Catholic church was giving financial support to girls as young as 12 who refused an abortion.

Bishop Dunn says his offer, also made on behalf of his diocese, is genuine and is not being made to court controversy or publicity.

He was inspired by the cardinal, but also by his father, the late Dr Patrick Dunn, a gynaecologist and one of the founders of the anti-abortion group Spuc.

There is no budget or fund specifically set up to meet costs of the offer, but they will be met as they arise, he says.

"It's like one step at a time, but we've got to practise what we preach."

He will "certainly" reach into his own pocket to help.

Asked if the child would continue to be supported as it grew up, the bishop said he hoped it would be and that many parishes already helped to provide for children.

There are around 15,000 abortions a year in New Zealand and for many women there was a residue of sadness and regret, Bishop Dunn said.

A Family Planning spokeswoman, Dr Christine Roke, said it was vital that women made up their own minds about abortion without any pressure.

"It's really important that people don't see it [the offer] as either a bribe or an inducement to have a baby."

To be meaningful, such an offer would have to look at supporting the child until it could look after itself, she said.

"In the end we're not just talking of short-term money, we're talking 15 years of caring for a child, so that it's difficult to know whether these offers really do extend to being able to realistically provide over that length of time."