DEFECTIVES’ BILL GIVES CONCERN TO CATHOLIC PRIMATE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6671, 26 July 1928, Page 10

DEFECTIVES’ BILL GIVES CONCERN TO CATHOLIC PRIMATE

‘No Confidence at all In Proposed Boards ’ CONTRARY TO SPIRIT OF CHURCH . :■ Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night, . Archbishop Redwood made a statement to tho Post to-day with regard to two of tho provisions in the Mental Defectives’ Amendment Bill now before Parliament. “The Catholic Church does not blame any reasonable efforts to improve the race,” ho said, “provided such efforts be on the right lines.” The spirit of the church, however, aims rather at extending than curtailing the freedom of the individual, and the Catliolic conscience strenuously guards the State from being unduly exalted at the expense of the family. Consequently, we Catholics regard with no small misgiving the Bill now before Parliament insofar.as.it limits the right of certain people to marry, and proposes sterilisation of those who may be classed as degenerates. It introduces, in. our opinion, a very dangerous principle and is likely to interfere seriously with individual rights. . In dealing with racial problems and social evils tho church has her age-long remedies. They arc radical and based on moral law, and it must be borne in mind that she knows human nature through "and through. She has experience well nigh 2000 years- in every age and country, in civilised times and barbarous ones. So these problems are not new to her. f- ’ ■The root difference between Catholic leaching and modem eugenics is that the church makes bodily and mental culture subservient to morality, while modern eugenics makes morality subservient to bodily" arid mental culture. Ho asks who are to judge as to the degeneracy and prevention of marriage. ■ “Wo confess that we have no confidence at all in tho competency-pr. tho fitness of’boards set up by the State to decide in matters so intimately connected with morality and individual liberty.” . With regard to sterilisation, ho said that the Catholic .experience was that an operation was*no remedy against, inordinate sexual desire. On the contrary, it flight easily open the door to immoral practics .which would .constitute' «• worse ;evil ‘than the oneV.to' T>o avoided. An operation also might readily .epcourage the abuse of matrimonial relations.

“We hold that.an operation is not permissible even with the patibnt’s consent except as a necessary means of bodily •‘•health. 1 M ■•' •' • «*