The Beauty of Life: Church Teaching on Abortion
By Caitlyn Trader
Science is incredible and fascinating. Learning about God’s creation often increases our faith and helps us discover more about the beauty of life. Recent advancements have made it scientifically indisputable that a human being is formed at conception, just as the Church teaches. Life is truly a miracle!
As Mother Teresa said, “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” Her statement reveals the tragic reality of abortion. An abortion is “the directly intended termination of pregnancy before viability or the directly intended destruction of a viable fetus” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Ethical and Religious Directives, n. 45). Per Church teaching, the intentional termination of a pregnancy at any stage is an abortion. It is a serious disregard of God’s divine law, for the Lord states, “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13).
Regarding the above teaching, many wonder if abortions could be morally justified in cases of rape and incest. The Church lovingly teaches that abortion is never a morally legitimate option. Rape and incest are terrible sins that treat the victim as an object, not a dignified person made in the image and likeness of God (CCC 2356 and 2388). However, Holy Mother Church recognizes that the sins of rape and incest should not lead to another sin: abortion. If a woman conceives a child after being raped or from incest, she should be offered genuine care and compassion, but her child should not be a victim of intentional death. The woman should be accompanied through her pregnancy.
Our Heavenly Father loves all his children, whether one second or one hundred years old. The health of both the mother and child is equally important. This reality brings us to our next concept: the Church’s teaching about caring for a mother with pregnancy complications. As Catholics, we affirm that it is vital to care for the mother’s health, but treatments or procedures to care for the mother should never have the intention of the death of the baby. In grave situations, the baby may tragically and unintentionally die when the mother is treated for a serious illness. As heartbreaking as this may be, couples can take comfort in knowing it is not an abortion if the child’s death is unintended. With this in mind, we note that miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are not direct abortions.
A miscarriage is the unintended death of the baby in the mother’s womb. While direct abortion is intentional, miscarriage is unintentional. Removing the baby after miscarriage is not an abortion, as the baby has already died. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a baby develops outside the uterus and can cause dangerous infections in the mother if left untreated. Treatment of an ectopic pregnancy will likely result in the baby’s death, but the intent must be to treat the mother, not to end the baby’s life. The unintended consequence is the death of the baby, which is not an abortion.
When speaking about these beginning-of-life issues, it is also important to address the Church’s teaching on prenatal diagnosis: Mother Church teaches that while prenatal diagnosis can be morally licit, it must never be used to decide whether to have an abortion. Choosing abortion after an unfavorable prenatal diagnosis is selectively ending the lives of the disabled, a grave assault on our God-given dignity (see Ethical and Religious Directives, n. 50 and Pope John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae, n. 14.). The Church clearly states, “The first right of the human person is his life” (Declaration on Procured Abortion, 11), a teaching that must be affirmed in all aspects of healthcare.
Life is a glorious gift! Even when life becomes difficult, and we find ourselves in unexpected circumstances, we must thank God for the gift of life. There is always hope for women who may have experienced an abortion. For women who choose a chemical abortion and soon regret it, there is abortion pill reversal. If a woman takes the first abortion pill, there is a short window of time in which it may be possible to undo the abortion process. For women who may regret an abortion, caring professionals at Catholic Charities are available to walk with them through their grief. Women who conceive under challenging circumstances can visit pregnancy resource centers that help during and after pregnancy and often provide counseling, physical resources, and financial assistance programs. If a woman is unable to parent a child, adoption is a beautiful option. Catholic Charities offers wonderful adoption services.
May we always give thanks for the gift of our lives and help others realize the gift of their lives.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Declaration on Procured Abortion. Nov. 18, 1974.
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Donum Vitae (Instruction on Respect for Human Life in its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation: Replies to Certain Questions of the Day.) Feb. 22, 1987.
John Paul II, Pope. Evangelium Vitae: On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life. March 25, 1995.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Sixth Edition. June 2018. See especially Directives 45–51.
Trader holds a Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) and Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill., and a Master of Science in bioethics from the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. She is a lecturer of systematic theology and works in the field of bioethics.