Catholic Question And Answers on Abortion
The Catholic Church’s Teaching On Abortion (ccc. 2270 – 2275)
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 – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. (Jeremiah 1:5)
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. (Psalm 139:15)
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.
Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,” “by the very commission of the offense,” and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.
The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.”
“The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined…. As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child’s rights.”
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.
Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, “if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual…. It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.”
“One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival.”
“It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material.”
“Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity” which are unique and unrepeatable.2
Absolution, Abortion, and the Year of Mercy –
Answering family members who say I wouldn’t have an abortion but it is the woman’s right to choose
Answering the Bodily Rights Argument for Abortion
Answering the Pro-Abortion Viability Argument
Answering the Violinist Argument for Abortion
Aren’t Aborted Babies Better Off, Since They Go Straight to Heaven–
Arguments Against Late-Term Abortion
Bodily Autonomy vs Right to Life
Can Catholics Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine made from aborted babies-
Can Pro-Choice Catholics Receive Communion
Did abortion exist in Biblical times-
Do pro-lifers ignore children after they are born-
Do the rights of a mother outweigh the rights of the baby in her womb-
Do We Have Any Other Choice But to Vote Against Abortion-
Doctors Say the Church Taught Them to Be Pro-Choice. Is that correct?
Does being pro-life interfere with free will and child suffering-
How Many Times Can a Woman Have a C-Section Before it Becomes Life-Threatening-
How to Approach Pro-Choice Family Members
How to Stay Calm While Discussing Abortion Related Issues
Is a Fetus a Living Person-
Is abortion acceptable to save a child from suffering-
Is abortion ever ok under these circumstances-
Is Abortion Okay Because It’s Legal-
Is abortion right to Spare a Child From Pain-
Is Abortion To Save The Life Of The Mother Ever Allowed?
Is Contraception OK for Non-Catholics as an Alternative to Abortion-
Is Free Will a Good Reason to Allow Abortion-
Is overpopulation a justification for abortion-
Is Plan B Allowed in the Case of Rape or Incest?
Is the Bible Pro-Abortion?
Is there a link between Abortion, Contraception, and Breast Cancer-
Is There a Proportional Evil to Abortion-
Is voting for pro-abortion politicians sinful?
Issues With the Seamless Garment Philosophy
Non-Religious Objections to Early Stage Abortion
Nonviolence and Salvation
Pro-choice caller starts to change her mind
Pro-Life Counseling in the Case of Rape
Relativism and Abortion
Should abortion be allowed in secular societies-
Should Abortion Be Safe, Legal, and Rare-
Should Catholics impose their pro-life views on everyone-
Should Catholics seek to enact laws against abortion-
Should men have a say on the issue of abortion-
Straight Talk About Abortion
Using Philosophy and Science in the Abortion Debate
What Should Pro-Life Legislation Look Like in the USA-
When does a fetus become a person-
When Does a Human Life Begin- (short version)
When Does a Human Life Begin-
When does life begin-
When is it Appropriate to Use Graphic Images of Abortions-
When to Talk to Family About Abortion
Why abortion is not just a religious issue
Why Is Abortion Non-Negotiable-
Why Is Abortion Such an Important Voting Issue-
Why Might Someone Support Abortion-
Why we can’t be neutral on when life begins
