CNA Staff, Jul 16, 2020 / 04:14 pm (CNA).- Pro-life advocates are calling on the Irish government to respond to statistics indicating a “shocking” level of abortions performed in the first year following the legalization of the procedure in the country.

A total of 6,666 abortions were performed in Ireland in the first year following the repeal of the country’s pro-life Eighth Amendment, according to official figures released Tuesday. More than 98% were elective abortions, with both the mother and baby healthy at the time of the abortion.

The figures were met with a strong response from pro-life groups, who noted that advocates of repealing the Eighth Amendment had promised that if legalized, abortion would be rare and only performed when necessary.

Bishop William Crean of Cloyne, Ireland, lamented the “acquiescent silence” of the politicians and media in the face of these numbers, CatholicIreland.net reported.

In his Sunday homily at St. Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh, the bishop said that as the country is justifiably mourning the 1,735 people who have died from Covid-19 in Ireland, the silence on the 6,666 lives lost through abortion is especially shocking.

“Those unborn got no choice, they too were displaced by a calculated choice which violated their dignity and worth,” he said.

Irish citizens voted to repeal the country’s pro-life laws in a referendum on May 25, 2018, with 66.4% in favor and 33.6% against.

Ireland’s constitution, which had previously recognized the right to life of the unborn, was amended to say that “Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.”

The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was signed into law on December 20, 2018.

Irish woman Melissa Kelleher, who had campaigned for the legalization of abortion in the country, also said she was taken aback by the statistics.

“I know many Yes voters including myself are quite shocked by the 2019 abortion figures. Many of us are now reflecting on our vote through a new lens and seeing repeal for what it truly is,” she wrote in a July 7 column for the Irish media platform Gript.

Kelleher said she bought into the campaign rhetoric that “the introduction of a liberal abortion regime was necessary to save women’s lives.”

“In the lead up to the 2018 referendum, the slogan ‘safe, legal, rare’ was put forward by prominent politicians,” she noted, adding that she had assured uncertain voters that legalizing abortion would actually lead to a decline in abortion rates.

“I am no statistician, but 1 in 10 pregnancies in Ireland ending in abortion doesn’t seem very rare,” she continued.

Kelleher said the “massive surge” in abortions following legalization of the procedure follows a trend in other countries. In contrast, she said, nations with high numbers of crisis pregnancy centers, such as the U.S., have seen a decrease in abortion numbers. She called for more of these pregnancy centers in Ireland, stressing that her own views on the issue had been shaped through experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and discovering the joy of motherhood. She now works as a volunteer to help other women in difficult pregnancy situations.

“The silence from the establishment parties on the newly released figures is striking. Many people who voted yes on the basis that abortion would be legal, safe and rare are now left questioning their choice,” Kelleher said.

“The government response to the shocking figure of 6666 unborn lives lost is non existent,” she continued. “They have no plans in place to address Irelands staggering spike in abortion, no solutions to help reduce or minimise the abortion rate in the coming years, no plans to fund increased supports for women experiencing unplanned pregnancy or parents in need.”

Kelleher called for the government and people of Ireland to reevaluate the legalization of abortion in light of the recent statistics.

“We need to be honest when we ask ourselves, is this genuinely the best we can do for Irish women and their unborn babies or are we still failing to truly support women and protect the most vulnerable in our society?”