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| Church condemns lesbian IVF use | Church condemns lesbian IVF use |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has condemned plans to make it easier for lesbian couples to use IVF to become parents. | The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has condemned plans to make it easier for lesbian couples to use IVF to become parents. |
| In a Times letter, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor said the plans were "profoundly wrong" and undermined "the place of the father in a child's life". | |
| But campaign group Stonewall said the move was a "logical and timely step". | |
| The measures are contained in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, being debated in the Lords later. | |
| The bill would remove the current requirement on IVF clinics to be sure that a father is involved in the upbringing of any child created after he donates sperm. | The bill would remove the current requirement on IVF clinics to be sure that a father is involved in the upbringing of any child created after he donates sperm. |
| MPs have previously called for an end to the right of fertility clinics to refuse treatment to single women and lesbians. | MPs have previously called for an end to the right of fertility clinics to refuse treatment to single women and lesbians. |
| This radically undermines the place of the father in a child's life Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor | This radically undermines the place of the father in a child's life Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor |
| Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor wrote: "The bill proposes to remove the need for IVF providers to take into account the child's need for a father when considering an IVF application, and to confer legal parenthood on people who have no biological relationship to a child born as a result of IVF. | Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor wrote: "The bill proposes to remove the need for IVF providers to take into account the child's need for a father when considering an IVF application, and to confer legal parenthood on people who have no biological relationship to a child born as a result of IVF. |
| "This radically undermines the place of the father in a child's life, and makes the natural rights of the child subordinate to the desires of the couple. | "This radically undermines the place of the father in a child's life, and makes the natural rights of the child subordinate to the desires of the couple. |
| "It is profoundly wrong." | "It is profoundly wrong." |
| But Ruth Hunt, of gay rights campaign group Stonewall, said the plans did not involve "denigrating the principle of fatherhood". | But Ruth Hunt, of gay rights campaign group Stonewall, said the plans did not involve "denigrating the principle of fatherhood". |
| "This is a very logical and timely step to ensure that a child can have two parents from the moment of conception and that is safeguarded throughout their upbringing," she said. | "This is a very logical and timely step to ensure that a child can have two parents from the moment of conception and that is safeguarded throughout their upbringing," she said. |
| Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor has called on the government to allow Labour members in both houses to have a free vote on the issue - as opposition members already do. | Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor has called on the government to allow Labour members in both houses to have a free vote on the issue - as opposition members already do. |