DECLARATION

on

ABORTION

NATIONAL

CONFERENCE

OF

CATHOLIC BISHOPS

NOVEMBER 18, 1970





DECLARATION

In fulfillment of our teaching

responsibility as bishops, once again, we speak

of the grave evil of abortion. Since the first

centuries of the Church's existence abortion

has been considered the destruction of human

life. Nothing permits us to judge it differently

now. Scientists tell us that, from the moment

of conception, the child is a complex and

rapidly-growing being, endowed with the

characteristics of human life. Although

dependent on a privileged environment for

development, the child in the womb has a life

of its own.

The fundamental principle has been

solemnly recalled by the Second Vatican

Council:

"For God, the Lord of life, has

conferred on men the surpassing ministry of

safeguarding life—a ministry which must be

fulfilled in a manner worthy of man.

Therefore from the moment of its conception

life must be guarded with the greatest care,

while abortion and infanticide are

unspeakable crimes." (Pastoral Constitution

on the Church in the Modern World, n. 51)

The function of law is to support and

protect the rights of every person. The

unborn child's civil rights have consistently

been recognized by American law. Proposed

liberal ization of the present abortion laws

ignores the most basic of these rights, the

right to life itself.



on ABORTION

The child in the womb is human.

Abortion is an unjust destruction of a human

life and morally that is murder. Society has

no right to destroy this life. Even the

expectant mother has no such right. The law

must establish every possible protection for

the child before and after birth.

We remind Catholic physicians and

nurses that regardless of changing laws, direct

abortion is always morally wrong. Catholic

hospitals and their staffs must witness to the

sanctity of life by respecting and defending

human life, before birth as well as afterwards.

Theirs ought to be the highest standards

possible in the total care both of mother and

child.

The evil of abortion is not exclusively

the responsibility of one person. Society is

also often guilty of a lack of compassion and

justice for the expectant mother. In

fulfillment of its responsibility, society should

do all that is possible to provide necessary

medical and other assistance. We urge

government and all voluntary agencies

including church-sponsored institutions to

intensify and broaden counseling and care for

expectant mothers who otherwise may be

tempted to resort to solutions contrary to

God's law.



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/declarationonabocath



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