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Reverence for Life

Abortion

+What is Abortion? (What do we mean when we talk about abortion?)

Spontaneous Abortion (also known as miscarriage)

Most often occur when the fetus (little baby) is incapable (not able) of surviving independently.

Generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation (the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female)

Induced Abortion (on purpose)

If the embryo or fetus could harm the life of the mother.

If the pregnancy was not wanted.

+What does the Church think?

What could ever be a sufficient reason for excusing in any way the direct murder of the innocent? This is precisely what we are dealing with here. Whether inflicted upon the mother or upon the child, it is against the precept of God and the law of nature: ‘Thou shalt not kill’.

Pope Pius XI commenting on abortion in his encyclical on Christian Marriage 31/12/1930

At present the Catholic Church’s opinion is that induced abortion is a form of murder if it is performed at or after the time that the soul enters the body of an embryo or fetus. The current view is that the soul enters the embryo at conception.

+Why is there an argument around

this? There are certain issues that come about that make having a

firm stance on the issue around induced abortion difficult.

What do you think the issues might be?

Consider the following case study

House Season 3 – Fetal Position (Episode 17)

Creative writing task

Write your own example of a time when the issue around abortion is

controversial.

You can rewrite the house story

Other examples include:

• A victim of rape (then becoming pregnant)

• A pregnant minor (not the digging kind)