50 questions

Abortion - True, It's not Ideal But in Certain Cases?

Abortion is ending the life of an embryo, which is the life of a human being. Even though it is performed by a medical doctor, it is an act of murder.

The consequences are not neutral for the mother either: forcing open the cervix (and the sudden end of the hormonal activity of the ovary) have a very violent effect which can lead to physical and psychological imbalances which we do not always measure/take into consideration.

Abortion is often a short-term solution to a problem that remains unsolved. In many cases, the "unplanned pregnancy" is the fruit of a painful situation: a precocious relationship, a betrayed trust, a spontaneous action caused by loneliness, etc. Often abortion only aggravates the inner suffering of the woman and its mark is, consciously or unconsciously, indelibly there.

And so you ask : But what about the woman who can not take on this pregnancy? To be pregnant after being raped or after a passionate but passing "loveÓ, can be a catastrophy. But is this a reason to cause another? The murder of a human being, even at the stage of an embryo, is also a catastrophy. Moreover, it is not easier to endure. It is an action that can stay engraved (in the flesh) even more deeply than in the conscious memory and can provoke serious problems: guilt that will not go away, aggressivity towards the husband, male friends or males in general, anxiety during sexual activity which, from that moment on, becomes "dangerous", fear of never being able to be a "good mother" after having done this, etc.

What is there to do in a distressing situation? First know that there are solutions and that you are not alone in this trial. Young mothers have accepted to keep their babies thanks to people who helped them morally and materially. They tell us that their life is not ruined and often the child has been an essential step in their evolution towards a more mature, responsible life and the source of a real fulfilment.

If it seems truly impossible to accept maternity, there is a legal solution that is no way condemnable, although it may seem difficult at first. The young mother can choose to give up the child for adoption. This should be done through adoption agencies that have legal status and who will, in turn, find adoptive parents for the child. This is a courageous, clear-sighted and loving act for the child and we must raise our voices against all those who thoughtlessly condemn it. Let us realize too that there are thousands of parents in our countries who, each year, unsuccessfully try to adopt a child. There are high odds that a baby would be adopted into a loving family. In this way, the "unplanned baby" is not forced into a life of misery.

For the Lord, no situation is hopeless. If we see that we have committed a grave error, the forgiveness of God (given by the priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation) will allow us to experience again peace and joy (See Q. 39). Jesus did not come to condemn; he came to find the sheep lost among the thorns, place it upon his shoulders and heal it.