Monday, January 22, 2007
The Catholic Church and abortion

The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2271. "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. [Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19, 5: PG 2, 777; Ad Diognetum 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9: PL 1, 319-320.] 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. [GS 51 # 3.]"

2272. "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,' [CIC, can. 1398.] 'by the very commission of the offense,' [CIC, can. 1314.] and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. [Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324.] 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."

2274. "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.' [CDF, Donum vitae I, 2.]"

2322. "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a 'criminal' practice (GS 27 # 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life."

ABORTION STOPS A BEATING HEART!

YOU CAN'T BE CATHOLIC AND SUPPORT ABORTION IN ANY CASE!

2 comment(s):

del_button October 16, 2014 at 1:28 AM
Brenda Brinkley said...

Like most Catholics, I’m against abortion…but when reading the Bible, one can’t help but notice that the first abortions took place in the Bible… carried out by armies of men.

For example, in Second Kings, Menahem, leader of the Israelites, smote all the people who refused to follow him “and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up” (2 Kings 15:16). Later, in Hosea, we learn that because the land of Samaria rejected God, “ Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up” (Hosea 13:16). Hosea decided to carry out God’s vengeance on the people by killing the unborn babies carried by the heathen women. He promised to “slay even the beloved fruit of their womb” (Hosea 9:16).

God also killed all the unborn when He drowned everyone with the Great Flood (Genesis 7:23). And it was God who killed the unborn babies during the countless plagues and pestilence he inflicted on the planet throughout history.

Finally, God also said, “Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones” (Psalms 137:9)? It seems here that post-natal killing options are available. The Bible authorizes us to kill just about any child who becomes burdensome. According to Deuteronomy, if a child is unruly and disobedient, we not only have the option of killing him, but it is mandatory that he be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). The same is true for a child who speaks to us with foul language (Exodus 21:17). Or a child who hits us (Exodus 21:15). 
 
After reading these verses, it’s obvious that abortion is allowed in the Bible,
Abortion can be an act God or armies of men, but women are supposed to have no choice in the matter.  
So  Is the Bible condoning forced abortion but prohibiting voluntary abortion?
This certainly seems so.
 
Of course, there would be no abortion if God did not insist on sending babies to teenagers who don’t want them, when there are millions of women who would give their right arm to conceive a child…
Instead of pontificating about what women should and should not do, it would be helpful if the church would begin praying to God to send babies only to the women who actually want children…instead of women who don’t want them…that should be just the right quotient of women to take over all of the unwanted pregnancies…thus, the problem would be solved.
 
Julia Sweeney came out with a famous film: “Letting Go of God.”
In this documentary, which is presently on several Direct TV channels, Julia Sweeny, a born and raised Catholic, asks the hard questions about the contradictions in our faith.
 
The imbalance of power between men and women in the church is addressed along with many other issues Catholic women are forced to deal with.
 
Along the same lines is a book by Sister Karol Jackwowski, called:
"The Silence We Keep."  Sister Jackwowski insists that checks and balances are needed in the church…She asserts that the sex scandals amongst priests could have been avoided if there had been a "balance of power" between the nuns and priests.  That is, if the nuns had not been forced to remained silent about what they knew about the sick priests.
 
The kinds of issues addressed by Sister Jackwowski and Julia Sweeny affect ALL Christians and need to be discussed. 

del_button October 16, 2014 at 1:33 AM
Brenda Brinkley said...

I also forgot to mention that it was the Jews who first invented abortion. Because whenever they found a woman pregnant out of wedlock, not only did they stone her, but also her unborn child...
As a school teacher and mother of 24 years, I see young girls get pregnant every day, against their free will.
They make the mistake of reaching out for love to men (which their bodies and emotions are programmed to do by God who controls nature)
and then when they conceive, the boy flees in fear and calls her a liar for implicating him...
 Men, by nature are so weak, and yet, God has condemned women to "cleave to them!"

And I also know many women, and mother's who would love to have a child, but cannot.
So my prayer to God is, Please God, stop sending the babies to young girls and children who
do not know how to take care of them, or who throw them in dumpsters, and please, instead, send babies to the millions of women who really want them.
As Catholics, I believe we should start praying a new prayer....instead of praying against abortion,
let's pray that God send all the babies to the women who really want them, instead of sending them to children who do not...
and ask God to stop using children as a punishment....
Children should all be considered a gift! 

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