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Catechism of the Catholic Church Requires Civil Penalties for Abortion
American Life League ^ | Feb 21, 2003 | Judy Brown

Posted on 02/21/2003 9:11:54 AM PST by Maximilian

ABORTION

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2322
From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice, gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.

2271
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.

Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves.

Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.

2272
Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life.

"A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae," "by the very commission of the offense," and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.

The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy.

Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

2273
The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:

The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority.

These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin.

Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.

The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law.

When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined.

As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights.

2274
Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual....

It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."

2275
"One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival."

"It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material."

"Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities.

Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity" which are unique and unrepeatable.

Also see:

THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS AND ABORTION:
Extensively detailed research about Christianity and the sanctity of life.


TOPICS: Catholic; Moral Issues; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: abrotion; catholiclist; crime; law; northdakota
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1 posted on 02/21/2003 9:11:54 AM PST by Maximilian
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To: Diago; narses; Loyalist; BlackElk; american colleen; saradippity; Polycarp; Dajjal; ...
Judie Brown, President of the American Life League, has been disturbed by the cowardice of the North Dakota bishops who came out AGAINST a bill recently introduced into the state legislature to outlaw abortion. She has posted on her website these excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to demonstrate how specious were the arguments that the bishops used against the law. These quotations show that the bishops'position was directly contrary to the teaching of the Catechism.
2 posted on 02/21/2003 9:19:26 AM PST by Maximilian
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To: Maximilian
Judie is one of my heroes.
3 posted on 02/21/2003 9:21:22 AM PST by Siobhan († Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet †)
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To: Maximilian
BTTT!
4 posted on 02/21/2003 9:22:14 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Maximilian; Siobhan
A reflection on one of the readings from yesterday:

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body


<< Thursday, February 20, 2003 >>
 
Genesis 9:1-13 Psalm 102 Mark 8:27-33
View Readings
 
GOD’S FIRST WORDS TO US
 
“God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: ‘Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth.’ ” —Genesis 9:1
 

One of the first things God said to Noah after the flood was the first thing He said to the human race after creating us: “Be fertile and multiply” (Gn 1:28). God concluded His blessing of Noah with the words: “Be fertile, then, and multiply” (Gn 9:7; see also Gn 1:22).

The Lord has made it very clear that children are a blessing from Him (see Ps 127:3) and should be welcomed (see Mt 18:5). In the new covenant, however, the Lord wants us to multiply not only people but also people who are His disciples (see Mt 28:19). He insists that we bear abundantly the fruit of evangelization, or we will be “like a withered, rejected branch, picked up to be thrown in the fire and burnt” (Jn 15:6).

Naturally, the Lord wants human beings to be created within the marriage covenant through sexual relations and brought to birth through the mother’s suffering in pregnancy and delivery. Supernaturally, the Lord makes us new creations (see Gal 6:15) and gives us new birth (see Jn 3:3, 5) by our covenant relationship with Jesus (see Jn 15:5) and our suffering for love of Him.

Don’t be abortifacient or contraceptive. Choose love and life-giving pain. Choose life and be fruitful.

 
Prayer: Father make me faithful, fruitful, and pleasing to You.
Promise: “The nations shall revere Your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.” —Ps 102:16
Praise: Although enduring more than one miscarriage, Sandra continues to choose to follow God’s call to love and openness to life.
 

5 posted on 02/21/2003 9:25:34 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
PRO-LIFE BUMP....Bad Catholic that I am.
6 posted on 02/21/2003 9:28:21 AM PST by Alkhin (He thinks I need keeping in order.)
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To: Salvation
Excellent, Salvation. God bless you.
7 posted on 02/21/2003 9:28:22 AM PST by Siobhan († Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet †)
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To: Alkhin
Thanks for the bump.

**Bad Catholic that I am.**

Isn't that what forgiveness is about?
8 posted on 02/21/2003 10:05:36 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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It is my understanding that a "mere" priest cannot forgive the sin of abortion. One has to go to a bishop for forgiveness.

Can anyone confirm this?
9 posted on 02/21/2003 10:05:57 AM PST by It's me
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To: Maximilian
Interesting point. Thanks.
10 posted on 02/21/2003 10:33:21 AM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: It's me
You can confess the sin of abortion to and receive absolution from any priest. The 1983 code of canon law no longer classifies it as a reserved sin, that is, one only the bishop can absolve.
11 posted on 02/21/2003 10:37:28 AM PST by ThomasMore ([1 Pet 3:15-16])
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To: It's me
It is my understanding that a "mere" priest cannot forgive the sin of abortion. One has to go to a bishop for forgiveness.

From Mark 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

12 posted on 02/21/2003 11:19:42 AM PST by Onelifetogive
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To: Onelifetogive
WHy doth this one venture to threads to comment on subjects about which he/she knows nothing?
13 posted on 02/21/2003 11:22:42 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: ThomasMore
You can confess the sin of abortion to and receive absolution from any priest. The 1983 code of canon law no longer classifies it as a reserved sin, that is, one only the bishop can absolve.

LOL!

Christ spent His entire earthly ministry opposing the legalism of the Jewish religion. The Jews had nothing on Catholic legalism.

14 posted on 02/21/2003 11:34:20 AM PST by Onelifetogive
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To: Desdemona
WHy doth this one venture to threads to comment on subjects about which he/she knows nothing?

My comment came directly, word for word, from the book of Mark. Not a single syllable of my own invention! Are you claiming that St. Mark knows nothing about forgiveness of sins?

15 posted on 02/21/2003 11:39:00 AM PST by Onelifetogive
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To: Onelifetogive
No. I am claiming you do not know the sacrament of Reconciliation, where the priest stands in Christ's place, as one of His successors to hear sins confessed.
16 posted on 02/21/2003 11:40:56 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: Onelifetogive
And if that's not quite right, about the priest standing in Christ's stead, someone with better Catechesis than me will correct it.
17 posted on 02/21/2003 11:42:15 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: Maximilian
You post this article, and date it as if it’s a recent post to the ALL website, and act as if its in response to the acts of the ND Bishops. You even make the claim:
She has posted on her website these excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to demonstrate how specious were the arguments that the bishops used against the law.
That is false. This article was posted at least as of May 31, 2000, which was over 2 ½ years ago. You stop at nothing to slam these Bishops. Did Bishop Zipfel get under your thin SSPX skin by calling the SSPX schismatic, referring to Archbishop Lefebvre as excommunicated, and making it clear to Catholics in his diocese that the local SSPX parish did not enjoy communion with the Roman Catholic Church?

Perhaps it was his ignoring the SSPX demand that he “Halt the celebration of the New Mass” that gets to Traditionalists?

Who knows. However, I do note that you repeatedly characterize Ms. Brown as being “disturbed by the cowardice of the North Dakota bishops.” In addition to your claim that these catechism sections are new, are you her spokesman or something now? If not, can you show me where she says something of this sort, or are you just putting words in her mouth?

Yes, she disagrees with the Bishops on this, but I hardly think she agrees with you, and posting two year old materials from her website, lying about their date, and putting words in her mouth hardly helps your case.

You are fond of making bogus claims about non-schismatic Catholics, like your previous claim on this issue that “not even Catholic bishops truly support the right to life,” a claim so thoroughly proven false that you couldn’t even respond last time, and just like your claim that “The default state today for virtually all Catholics is to be living objectively in a state of mortal sin” something you still have yet to justify.

I’m sure you consider me to be in mortal sin merely for responding to you again. Regardless, your agenda is transparent, and your efforts are disingenuous.

patent  +AMDG

18 posted on 02/21/2003 11:49:53 AM PST by patent
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To: Desdemona
No. I am claiming you do not know the sacrament of Reconciliation, where the priest stands in Christ's place, as one of His successors to hear sins confessed.

I would agree. That one baffles both me and St. Mark.

19 posted on 02/21/2003 11:51:28 AM PST by Onelifetogive
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To: Onelifetogive
WHy doth this one venture to threads to comment on subjects about which he/she knows nothing?
My comment came directly, word for word, from the book of Mark. Not a single syllable of my own invention! Are you claiming that St. Mark knows nothing about forgiveness of sins?
LOL. The quote you made isn’t Jesus speaking, or even St. Mark, it’s the scribes. It was put in their to demonstrate thier foolishness, yet you quote it as wisdom. You apparently think one should quote the scribes as a source of theology. The full citation:
6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

So, Onelifetogive, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? We Catholics will stick with Jesus.

patent  +AMDG

20 posted on 02/21/2003 11:54:46 AM PST by patent
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