Pope Benedict XVI has urged doctors to protect women from the “deceptive” thought that an abortion might be a solution to social or economic difficulties or health problems.
The Pope reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s firm opposition to abortion in a speech to members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Vatican’s bioethics advisory board.
He argued that women are often convinced, sometimes by their own doctors, that abortion is a legitimate choice and in some cases even a therapeutic act to prevent their babies from suffering.
Saying “abortion solves nothing”, he called on doctors not to give up their duty to defend the consciences of women from such “deception”.
Catholic Church teaching holds that human life begins at conception.
Full article via Independent (IE)
There’s something really horrible about celibate men knowing what’s best for pregnant women. The sooner humanity stops relying on fairy tales to control the lives of others the better.
I don’t see where the deception is. Sure, doctors may present it as an option if there’s major health issues with either party concerned, but ultimately it’s our call. And we know what the word abortion means, we know what’ it’ll involve.
I call upon the pope to stop decieving desperate women.
The child rapist protector is going on about womens rights again.
Pope Benedict XVI – Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. Geek reference but I’m just saying.
Pay no attention to the Dark lord – He’s just annoyed he didnt get an asthma helmet like Darth.
this is as ridiculous as those people who insist that doctors got into performing abortions so they can make a lot of money. yeah, bulletproof vests, bombproof buildings & bodyguards are pretty expensive! :/
Where is the pope getting this information? I can’t imagine alot of doctors are offering abortion as a solution or as a therapeutic act. They know what’s involved.
One group of people that you should ignore completely! I hate the catholic church!
For the catholic church, an abortion isn’t a legitimate choice even when the life of the mother is in imminent, mortal danger, and there is no other way to save the mother than to perform an abortion:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/opinion/27kristof.html?_r=1
The church obviously even here keeps its stance that “abortion solves nothing”.
I wonder: In such cases, the choice is either: a) Mother and fetus die b) only the fetus dies.
This shows more than clearly that the Churchs motivation isn’t really about saving life. Their anti-abortion stance is an instrument of power over women.
dont church teaching, if you go for more of a literal translation, state that life is in the blood which means you have 7-9 days after to get “address the issue”?
Never trust someone who speaks latin!! They may not be compus-mentus!
Why should anyone listen to the pope? He is totally deluded.
Thanks a lot Raymond!
Its alot easier for everyone to attack the catholic church,it would seem, then to just accept that it is someones belief , in this case the poep, Faith is a choice the same way it is someones chice to beleve that abortions are right and not have faith. People are so closed minded!
Kay, the point is that he’s not telling Catholic women that they shouldn’t have abortions due to what they believe (leaving them the final choice of whether or not to listen to him), but rather telling DOCTORS not to provide abortions to women under any circumstance, even if the mother’s life is endangered. In acute situations, when there’s not a lot of time to ‘shop around’ for another doctor, that could be a piece of advice that leads to a death that could have been prevented. A death not of the believer, but of the patient at the believer’s mercy.
I’m all for personal choice, but when the choices you make endanger others or deny them their choices, you are entirely out of line.
So a woman should rather be forced to raise a child that she doesn’t want just because the Pope says so?
Has he stopped to consider what that child’s life is going to be like?
Yes, because the Pope must surely understand woman, and pregnant one’s at that.