Abortion and the Catholic Church

Definitions Deliberate cessation of prenatal life Central problem of the definition: When in the course of the continuing development from fertilized egg to newborn infant does a human person exist? Two dominant positions: [1] a human person does not exist until later stages of prenatal development [2] human person exists at the earliest stage of development

Basic Facts About Method There are two basic types of abortion: Medical Abortion (sometimes called chemical abortion) Surgical Abortion

Medical or Chemical Abortion RU-486 or the “French Abortion Pill” Taken in the first trimester. 1st round creates an inhospitable womb. 2nd round induces contraction Follow-up visit to be sure of complete abortion

Surgical Abortion Suction Aspiration The most common type in the first trimester. A woman a given anaesthesia and her cervix is moderately dilated A suction curette is inserted into the womb, the embryo or fetus is suctioned out.

Surgical Abortion Dilation and Curettage (D & C) Similar to the suction aspiration, except that a small hook shaped knife is also inserted to break up the embryo or fetus to facilitate suction.

Surgical Abortion Up to 18 weeks (Into the second trimester) Dilation and Evacuation (D & E) Forceps are inserted into the womb to dismember the fetus to facilitate removal from the uterus.

Surgical Abortion Partial-Birth Abortion Guided by an ultrasound, the physician locates the fetus and secures a leg with forceps The legs are guided into the birth canal The baby is delivered except for the head Scissors are inserted into the base of the skull A suction catheter is inserted into the skull to remove the brain. The fetus is then removed from the birth canal.

Partial Birth Abortion Law Upheld in 2007, the ban on partial birth abortion. Physicians debate whether the method is ever necessary as the procedure takes place most often after viability. Physicians who offer abortion in the later stages of gestation can use a chemical/saline injection into the heart of the fetus, so there is no partially live birth

  The Roman Catholic Church says that deliberately causing an abortion is a grave moral wrong. It bases this doctrine on natural law and on the written word of God (Scripture).

When does life begin? The Church says that human life begins when the woman's egg is fertilized by a male sperm. From that moment a unique life begins, independent of the life of the mother and father. Each new life that begins at this point is not a potential human being but a human being with potential.

Other Perspectives on Life's Origin "The Quickening"  A more ancient understanding of the origin of life.  "The Quickening" is the moment that the woman first feels movement.  It was often understood as the moment the soul entered the fetus.   Week 2 or 3  It's unclear whether or not the pregnancy will result in a single or multiple birth until the 2nd or 3rd week The 8th Week  Brain waves are present at the start of the 8th week. Viability  This is the point where the fetus is likely to survive outside of the womb.  Modern technology places this anywhere between the fifth and sixth month.

What Difference Does It Make? If it's not life, it's not murder. If a population can agree on when life begins, making law will be a much easier process. Is it possible to separate the religious & philosophical from the medical? This image shows the size of the embryo until the 8th week.

History of Church Teaching on Abortion   The Church condemned abortion as early as the 2nd century CE: a document called the Didache, written in the 2nd century (some time after 100 CE), states: "You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish".

Contemporary Catholic View Pope John Paul II took a very strong line on abortion, describing it as murder. Frequently man lives as if God did not exist, and even puts himself in God's place... He claims for himself the Creator's right to interfere in the mystery of human life. Rejecting divine law and moral principles, he openly attacks the family. Pope John Paul II, 2000

Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) In 1995, Pope John Paul II wrote an encyclical (a teaching letter to the whole Catholic Church) called Evangelium Vitae ('The Gospel of Life'). He stated the fundamental position of the Church: I confirm that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995 In this he was directly referring to abortion, euthanasia and the destruction of human embryos in medical research. On abortion specifically the Pope wrote: I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being.

Scripture Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill. Jeremiah 1:5: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart”      Psalm 139:  For you created my inmost being;        you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,        I know that full well. Your eyes saw my unformed body.        All the days ordained for me were written in your book        before one of them came to be.

The “What If” Cases: Pregnancy as a result of rape or incest? Pregnancy where the fetus is known to have physical or mental disabilities? The Church responds that in such cases, if abortion were allowed, it would be presenting the case that a person’s worth depends on the manner of conception or perception by others. COMPASSION and SUPPORT are the responses.

Review of the Principle of Double Effect There exists an action with two outcomes: one positive and one negative. We must INTEND the good outcome, and merely tolerate the negative. (The good outcome can’t be a casual result of the bad.) The action must be morally good or morally neutral. The good outcome must be “proportional” to the bad outcome.

The Principle of Double Effect in Detail