New Straits Times (http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/24abr1/Article/)
Abortion: Catholic Church holds that life must be protected , 20 February 2011
by Rev. Dr.Clarence Devadass, Archdiocesan Pastoral Institutem Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur
(letters@nst.com.my)
I REFER to the article "It's allowed in certain cases" (News Sunday Times, Feb 13). The issue at hand has religious perspectives on abortion and contraception in the context of baby dumping.
Tan Kong Beng, executive secretary of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, is quoted as saying that abortion could be allowed under extenuating circumstances, which included a child conceived through rape. Tan's opinion would seem to appear as the view of all Christians.
However, it has to be pointed out that his position is not shared by the Catholic Church which forms approximately 50 per cent of the Christian population in Malaysia.
Although he had gone on to say that in such circumstances, counselling would be preferable to abortion, this statement is in opposition of the Catholic Church's position that all human life is inviolable.
Issues concerning human life (conception, abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment) are of the utmost importance to the Catholic faith and we have been consistent on these issues against a wave from society, which we have described as "the culture of death".
Killing an unborn child is always immoral, no matter what the circumstances are.
Even in cases where the mother's life is in danger, abortion cannot be the means to save the mother since "a good end cannot sanctify evil means" (William Penn).
The only situation where the death of an unborn child is tolerated is in the context of treating the mother for an ailment and in doing so, the death of the unborn child is unavoidable.
For example, when the mother has cancer and the foetus is in the early stages of development. Without treatment, the mother and the unborn child will die. With treatment, the unborn child will die, but the mother may well live.
We can treat the mother for cancer, even though the treatment will cause death to the unborn child.
This is referred to as indirect abortion, where you cannot save the unborn child, but you can save the mother.
I hope the above clarifies the position of the Catholic Church.
(End)
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