Does the catholic church permit abortion if the woman has health problems?

Answer 1

yes?

Answer 2

Short answer: no. Long answer: kinda sorta maybe. Are you ready for a lesson in Aquinian theology / philosophy? And a bit of a primer in moral theology?

We start with a basic premise: The Church is against anything that intentionally ends a life, including abortion. But if that is not the intention, and the death is a side affect, that changes things. This is part of the difference between self-defense and outright murder.

To illustrate this, I'll offer two senarios - a woman is pregant and her doctor tells her that she also has a heart condition and if she carries the baby to term, she will almost certainly die. In this case, the doctor is suggesting an abortion with the purpose of ending the pregnancy in order to save the woman's life. This would be considered a sin. Now, if a woman is pregnant and her doctor tells her that she has a cancerous tumor on the outside of her uterus that will kill her unless it is removed. The doctor wants to remove the tumor, but the process will end the pregnancy. This would not be considered a sin (or at least the same kind of sin) because the direct intention of the action is not to end the life of the fetus.

Yeah, it feels like a loophole to me, too, but if you start getting into philosophical studies, you'll find a lot of stuff like this.

Here's the reality - If a woman is in a situation where her pregnancy puts her life at risk, it is her decision and hers alone as to what to do. But to truly make a moral decision like this, the woman should take many things into account: Scripture, Church teaching (inc. canon law), modern sciences, her own experience, and a lot of prayer and meditation. This can't be a snap decision. But if a woman went through all this and chose the abortion, I would be appalled at anyone who would condemn her. In my opinion, she will face God with this and be able to honestly tell God that she did the very best she possibly could.

Answer 3

No. Unfortunately "health problems" is a very vague term.

Some people will say that pregnancy is a danger to a woman's health and justify any abortion.

The Catholic Church says the from the moment of conception, the fetus is a human being with the same human rights and human dignity of any of us.

The one exception that I know is not an abortion. This is when a pregnant woman must undergo a medical procedure to save her life and as a regrettable but unavoidable circumstance the unborn baby dies.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

The link below does a good job of laying out the position of the Catholic Church. The bottom line -- it does not allow direct abortions for any reason. However, if a woman needs an operation and this operation causes the woman to miscarry -- then it is permitted.

Answer 5

Did you know that the Catholic Church approved of abortion until 1869? It was OK up to the point of quickening (hardening of the bones) which they said occurred at 40 days for males and 80 days for females. Any abortions performed after 40 days were presumed to be female. Nice huh? Don't believe me? search "Catholic Church Abortion position before 1869" unless you are brainwashed or afraid.

Answer 6

No. The mother can die. But the unborn cant. Strange! No wonder Christan groups did not like Da Vince Code and what it implies on the stand of the Catholic Church vis a vis women. In their scheme of things, women are second class. And its a woman who bear a child. Now if men were to bear children?????

Answer 7

Not officially. Their stand is 100 percent against abortion and even contraception because they want as many little Catholics as they can get.

Unofficially, a good priest will advise the woman to do as her conscience dictates, just think about it carefully and pray on it.

In reality, it's better to have a live mother able to take care of her other children than to have a dead mother and a live baby or both dead.

God would not be so cruel as to condemn a mother who chose to be with her other children.

"The good of the many outweighs the good of the one."

Answer 8

Nope. Health concerns for the mother are still not a valid reason to have an abortion. If I remember the church's stance correctly, there is never any reason to have an abortion, no matter what.

Answer 9

if no way is possible of saving both the child and the mother and the child is not too far along then it is best to save the mother before the child knows and feels or lives without the parent the mother however already knows and feels but if the health problem does not detour or obstuct or threaten the liveability of either child or mother then abortion should not occure please be a little more specific of the health problem and i i may be able to speak more acuratly for such a case

Answer 10

Probably not, but if the money is right, even The Pope has a price. Did you know though that in the United Kingdom in 1999 I think it was that there were about 144,000 abortions of which only about 2,000 were for the reason why it became legal in the first place.

Answer 11

The Church doesn't permit abortions under any circumstances. If the woman has health problems, she will just have to die along with the baby. Thanks, Pope.