Care for Mother and the Unborn Child By Archbishop Peter Chong

Our common calling is to stand in solidarity with the unborn, the “least of our brothers and sisters” (Matthew 25:40).

The slogan. ‘My body my rights,’ has been used by some women to express their rights to make decisions about their bodies and lives. For pro-abortion followers, ‘My body my rights’ expresses their rights regarding health, body. sexual life and abortion. For them, abortion is about their body and so they have a right to abortion. We therefore should ask the important question: What is abortion? Whose body are talking about in abortion?

What is abortion?

Abortion (direct/induced) is the intentional termination of a human life in the form of a zygote, blastocyte, embryo, or fetus in the womb of a mother. In abortion, a pregnancy is ended by means of destroying and removing the developing child in the womb. Is abortion about my body or is it also about the body of another human being with his or her human right? To answer this question, we have to determine the beginning of human life.

When does human life begin?

Scientists and biologists unanimously agree that human life begins in the process of fertilization or conception. Conception involves the fusion of the of the nucleus of a male gamete (sperm) and a female gamete (ovum). Every human life begins with the fertilization of an egg. The fertilized egg is called the zygote and marks the beginning of a new individual human life. The zygote therefore marks the beginning of an individual human with his or her own human rights. Abortion removes the zygote or an individual human being.  

According to WHO, every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day. These statistics point to a severe disorder in the human society. We are producing a death culture rather than a culture of life and love.

Fiji’s penal code does not allow abortion. 221. (1) Any person who, with intent to destroy the life of a child capable of being born alive, by any wilful act causes a child to die before it has an existence independent of its mother, is guilty of the felony of child destruction, and is liable to imprisonment for life.

What are some root causes of abortion?

South Australia health reports that 95.5% of women cite “mental health of woman” as the reason for the abortion. This means women who think of abortion are not in the best mental state to make good moral decisions. Along the same veing BioMedCentral research (2013) on “Understanding why women seek abortions in the US” show that women seek abortion for reasons related to their circumstances, including their socioeconomic status, age, health, parity and marital status. The research show that women are motivated to seek abortion for a wide range of reasons that are driven by their unique circumstances and stage of life. Women expressed lacking the financial, emotional, and physical resources to adequately provide for a or another child.

Finances, unpreparedness for new baby, partner-related reasons, need to focus on other children, career are some of the top reasons for abortion. The research reveals that by better understanding women’s decisions for abortion can help stakeholders better support women’s reproductive decisions and provide them with the resources they may need.

(https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1472-6874-13-29.pdf)

The Foundations of Catholic Teaching on Abortion

Catholic teachings show that human life is from God. God is a God of life. We are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore we must support life not death.

Sacred Scripture testifies how it pleased God to create human persons “in the image and likeness” of God (Genesis 1:26) and treats violations against the life and welfare of innocent people as offenses against the God who is the author of life. The Ten Commandments clearly declares: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). The prophet Jeremiah describes God’s love for the unborn: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born,
I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). The Book of Psalms offers this prayer of wonder: “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth” (Psalm 139:13-15).

First, the foundation of the Catholic moral tradition is the dignity of the human person who is created by God. Human life is sacred because he or she is created into the image and likeness of God. All human life bears the likeness of God the creator. “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.” Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. (Donum Vitae: Catechism of the Catholic Church)

The Church teachings and the Christian bible clearly state that the deliberate and willful attack on any human life, including human life in the womb, regardless of the motive, is always an objective moral evil.

Rights and Responsibilities

The Church teaches that all human beings have rights to life, however she also teaches that we have responsibilities for other peoples’ rights and freedoms. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities–to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. In the case of abortion, yes, a woman has a right to make decisions regarding her body, but she also has a responsibility to protect the right to life of the human person in her womb. No individual right is absolute. For example, we have a right to make decisions regarding our body, but we do not have the right to take our life (suicide). Our rights and freedoms are for developing and protecting life.

‘My body my rights’ is coloured by the Western understanding to human rights – my individual right. In community centred societies like Fiji, what is good for the community defines rights. What is good for the community defines human rights. In community cantered societies we are not only concerned with individual, we care for the community. We care for the mother; we also care for the unborn human being.

Human life begins at conception, and it is from this point that it is most appropriate to recognise the personhood of the new, unique human being. Like all human beings the embryo has a right to life and must be respected. Every human life has inherent value that is not dependent on age or ability. The right to life is the first right of the human person, and the one on which all others are conditional. It is not recognition by the State that endows this right; it exists by virtue of the creation of a new life, and it is the role of the State and every human being to protect this right above all others. This is not only a doctrine upheld by the Catholic Church in our teachings and practices; it is the basis of a civilised society. Therefore, abortion is always an objective moral evil.

Care for the Mother and the Unborn

Our discussions around abortion must not be limited to the mother’s rights, rather it should include practices that help both the mother and the unborn human being. South Australia health reports that 95.5% of women cite “mental health of woman” as the reason for the abortion. This means women are not in the best mental state to make good moral decisions. Overwhelmingly, Australians believe that women considering abortion should be given, or at least offered, counselling. A study done on Australian attitudes to abortion revealed that 78 per cent of respondents believed a woman contemplating an abortion should first be given counselling about the risks and the alternatives. This included 72 per cent of those who described themselves as “strongly pro-abortion.” 86 per cent of respondents believed this counselling should be given by someone independent of the abortion provider. Counselling should also be given after abortion.

In Fiji, statistics show that about 60% of women have experience some level of domestic violence. Therefore, these women carry emotional stress and hurts and are likely to think about abortion. They need support and counselling. Domestic violence should be addressed on its own and should not be addressed through anti-abortion rhetorics.

Some Recommendations

1. Discussions around abortion should include education on human sexuality and the responsible use of sexuality. God has a purpose for creating human beings male and female. We need to understand what it means to be fully human — male and female and how both complement each other. God created human sexuality to be a medium for communicating love, intimacy and responsibility. Such love exists in marriage.
2. Holistic Pre-Marriage Counselling should include areas of relationships, finances, family planning.
3. Post marriage support: Newlyweds are often still in their honeymoon period and are blind to the other realities of marriage therefore post-marriage support is essential. Both pre-marriage and post-marriage support and counselling should include:

• Better communication skills for staying in love
• helps for financial planning
• responsible parenthood or family planning

1. Independent counselling for those who are thinking about abortion.
2. Counselling for those who have carried out abortion.