Read the Catechism in a Year
Day 269 - Abortion
The Fifth Commandment: You shall not kill.
Why is abortion unacceptable at any phase in the development of an embryo?
God-given human life is God’s own property; it is sacred from the first moment of its existence and not under the control of any human being. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jer 1:5).
God alone is Lord over life and death. Not even “my” life belongs to me. Every child, from the moment of conception on, has a right to life. From his earliest beginnings an unborn human being is a separate person, and no one can infringe upon his rights, not the State, not the doctor, and not even the mother. The Church’s clarity about this is not a lack of compassion; she means, rather, to point out the irreparable harm that is inflicted on the child who is killed in abortion and on his parents and on society as a whole. Protecting innocent human life is one of the noblest tasks of the State. If a State evades this responsibility, it undermines the foundations of a rule of law.
Can a handicapped child be aborted?
No. Aborting a handicapped child is always a serious crime, even if it is done with the intention of sparing that person suffering later on. (YOUCAT questions 383-384)
Dig Deeper: Corresponding CCC section (2270-2274) and other references here.The Incredible Conversion Story of an Ex-Abortionist: Aborting America
This text comes from the YOUCAT - an accessible expression of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in a simple Q & A format. [Learn more here]
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