What does the Church say about the consistent ethic of life?

From the moment of conception, God loves every human life. He loves each and every human person, no matter his or her stage of development or age, and he wants each to know and enjoy his love in fullness.

Archbishop J. Peter Sartain

As Catholics, we must clearly promote a comprehensive morality that values the gift of life in all of its wondrous manifestations.  Our Church supports life in all its stages and advocates for the dignity of each human life.  We protect human life from the moment of conception.  We also support the dignity of women, especially those challenged by an unplanned pregnancy.

Archbishop Alexander J. Brunett

What does the Church say about abortion?

The Second Vatican Council defines abortion, together with infanticide, as an “unspeakable crime.”  But today, in many people’s consciences, the perception of its gravity has become progressively obscured. The acceptance of abortion in the popular mind, in behavior and even in law itself, is a telling sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense, which is becoming more and more incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, even when the fundamental right to life is at stake. Given such a grave situation, we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name, without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception.

Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 58

Reflections

We were all conceived and born in littleness and weakness. We depended totally on our parents for food and protection; our greatest need was for their enfolding, protective, and stimulating love. Children cannot live and grow humanly without that love. For a human being, love is as vital as food….

What happens when a child feels unloved, unwanted? There is nothing to compare with the terrible loneliness of a child; fragile and helpless, a lonely child feels fear, anguish, a sense of guilt. And when children are wounded in their hearts, they learn to protect themselves by hiding behind barriers.

Jean Vanier, Becoming Human

If one contends, as we do, that the right of every fetus to be born should be protected by civil law and supported by civil consensus, then our moral, political, and economic responsibilities do not stop at the moment of birth.  Those who defend the right to life of the weakest among us must be equally visible in support of the quality of life of the powerless among us:  the old and the young, the hungry and the homeless, the undocumented immigrant and the unemployed worker.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, “A Consistent Ethic of Life”

Since 1973, there have been more than 50 million abortions in the United States. While some women report relatively little distress following abortion, for many, the experience is devastating, causing severe and long-lasting emotional, psychological and spiritual trauma. Even those who advocate for the right of a woman to choose abortion tell of the grief, sorrow, confusion and struggle to cope with the aftermath of the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States. The ministry of Project Rachel arose in response to the stories women and men told about the hurt they experienced months and even years after an abortion.

From the website for Project Rachel
www.hopeafterabortion.com

Talking Points

These suggested talking points might be used in talking about abortion in everyday conversations with relatives, friends, coworkers, or neighbors.
 
Always a Human Being  The fetus in the womb is a human being, just like a baby eagle in an egg is an eagle. The federal government protects eagle eggs in the nest, but does not offer the similar protection to human beings in the womb.
 
Emotional Trauma  Abortion only appears to solve a perceived problem, an unintended pregnancy. Women who have abortions often suffer emotional and psychological trauma for years afterward.
 
Danger to Women  The later in a pregnancy an abortion is performed, the greater the risk for the woman. Abortion is a significant medical procedure that carries serious risks to the woman during the procedure and afterward.
 
Parents of Minors  For women younger than 18, they need parental consent to have their ears pierced or medications administered at school. However, in the case of abortion, there is no requirement for parental consent. Given the risks associated with having an abortion, such a situation does not assure that informed consent is present.

from Living Faith, published by
the Archdiocese of Seattle, 2007