London, England, May 26, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Roman Catholic bishops of England and Wales issued a 103-page document yesterday, called “Cherishing Life”, which outlines the teachings of the Church on a range of modern moral problems, including abortion, euthanasia, divorce, contraception, homosexuality and Catholics’ involvement in political life.
The document warns of a slide toward a culture of death and urges voters to vote for political candidates, based on their moral positions. People must take personal responsibility for their actions and must make decisions for the common good, they said.
On BBC Radio 4's Today program, Cormac Cardinal Murphy O'Connor noted that there are 180,000 abortions a year in England and Wales. He underscored the calls for euthanasia and stem-cell research.
"We all have a responsibility to create a culture of life,” he said.