ABORTION
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
“Human life must be respected and
protected absolutely from the
moment of conception. From the
first moment of his existence, a
human being must be recognized
as having the rights of a person…”
(2270 Catechism of the Catholic
Church)
“The Catholic Church’s pro-life
teachings are based on sacred
Scripture AND what is commonly called
"natural law," the divine law written in
our hearts and knowable by human
reason....A person doesn’t have to be
Catholic, Christian or even overtly
religious to understand that human life
is special among all creation and
should not be violated by abortion. It is
self-evident. “
(Helen Alvaré Catholic Update)
VOLITIONAL ABORTION
“Since it must be treated from
conception as a person, the
embryo must be defended in its
integrity, cared for, and healed, as
far as possible, like any other
human being.
(2274 Catechism
of the Catholic Church)
Direct abortion is gravely contrary
to the moral law.
(2271 Catechism of the Catholic
Church)
WHAT ABOUT CASES OF RAPE OR
INCEST?
According to the Church's vision of
morality, no hardship, not even
being pregnant due to rape or
incest, gives a woman reason to
have an abortion.
If it is known that she is not already
pregnant, a woman who has been
raped or a victim of incest may seek
immediate medical assistance- within a
day- to prevent ovulation or kill the
sperm, thus preventing conception from
occurring. ( Emergency contraception or
the Morning After Pill)
“The Catholic Church teaches that artificial
means of birth control are wrong, those
methods that are abortifacient especially
so.”
(IUD)
INDIRECT ABORTION
Ectopic Pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy, tubal pregnancy,
meaning literally, "out of place,” occurs
when a fertilized egg is implanted outside
the uterus, typically in one of the
FALLOPIAN TUBES . About one of every
50 known pregnancies is ectopic.
Ectopic Pregnancy
• Once conception occurs, the fertilized egg
usually takes about four to five days to
travel down the tube from the ovary to the
uterus. If the tube is damaged or blocked,
or fails to propel the egg toward the
uterus, the egg may become implanted in
the wall of the tube and continue to
develop there. Occasionally it may implant
in another part of the abdomen, in an
ovary, or in the cervix.
Ectopic Pregnancy
Although a woman must end an ectopic
pregnancy, this is not looked at as a
volitional abortion.
Here the indirect abortion may be
morally acceptable because the
ending of the fetus' life was not the
intended goal of the surgery.
Instead, it was a tragic, undesired
effect of saving the mother's life.
Indirect abortion may occur as a
result of efforts to save a pregnant
mother's life, for instance, through
removal of a cancerous uterus.
Life and death are ultimately the
dominion of God.
LAW AND METHODS
U.S. Law
Within the first 2 months of pregnancy,
medical abortion (RU486) or abortion by
vacuum aspiration (Manual vacuum
aspiration or dilation and suction
curettage) can be used to end pregnancy.
From 2-3 months, vacuum aspiration is
your only abortion option during the first
trimester.
Partial Birth Abortion
The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003,
approved by Congress in October, is aimed at
the less-common "partial-birth" abortion,
medically known as an "intact D&E" or a
"dilatation and extraction," or D&X, in which
some of the procedure is performed inside the
birth canal. But doctors who perform abortions
say the bill's broad language covers all D&E
procedures -- and could block virtually all
abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy.
(By Carol Cruzan Morton, Globe Correspondent, 10/28/2003 )