The Church of England’s ruling body voted unanimously to give unbiased information to parents who are told that their unborn child has Down’s syndrome.
The motion put to the General Synod backed calls on the government to make sure those parents who are told their child has the condition are given the necessary support.
However some synod members raised fears that it could lead to Nazi-style eugenics in which babies found to have Down’s syndrome would be aborted.
Andrew Gray warned: ‘In countries like Iceland Down’s Syndrome has been virtually eliminated. What we have is a very simple situation. The UK and Europe has begun to practice eugenics, by default, and without intent.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, addresses the General Synod at Church House in London
‘Quite frankly, there are some stark comparisons with the Third Reich.’
The remarks were made during a debate about non-invasive pre-natal testing, with the Church raising concerns that abortions could lead to condition being wiped out.
The bishop of Carlisle, James Newcome, put the motion to the body and said Down’s children should be welcomed. He added that ‘being born with disability is not a disaster’.
Bishop Newcome moved to ease fears that it could lead to an increase in abortion and that it was not a ‘regressive attack on medical discoveries’, nor was it trying to influence any decision made by women. He reiterated that the Church’s position on abortion was clear.
The motion put to the General Synod backed calls on the government to make sure those parents who are told their child has the Down’s Syndrome are given the necessary support (stock image)
He said: ‘Although the motion today has partly been prompted by some people’s concern that the abortion rate for those diagnosed with Down’s syndrome could increase to nearly 100 per cent, the rights and wrongs of abortion itself are not the purpose of our discussion.’
During the debate, the Synod heard personal accounts of the Isabel Adcock, whose fourth child was diagnosed with a chromosomal anomaly and died five days later.
She said: ‘I believe we are made in God’s image.
‘Grief will be there. We need to build loving communities that are non-judgemental and [that] will support those affected, and be looked after every day, not just on Sundays.’
Nuffield Council on Bioethics welcomed the motion and said the way that disabled people are supported or viewed in society can play a significant role in influencing reproductive decisions for women and couples’.
Some synod members raised fears that it could lead to new testing which may lead to Nazi-style eugenics in which babies found to have Down’s syndrome would be aborted