Indirect abortion is the name given by
Catholic theologians to a medical procedure which has a beneficial medical effect and also results in an
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
as a secondary effect. Edwin F. Healy makes a distinction between "direct abortions" that is, abortion which is either an end or a means, and "indirect abortions", where the loss of the fetus is then considered to be a "secondary effect."
The relevant distinction may be between cases where the woman's life may be "in jeopardy", and cases where the woman would almost certainly die without the procedure that would also destroy the fetus. However, this does not mean the Catholic Church teaches that a direct abortion, even when intended to save the life of a woman, is not sinful.
''Humanae vitae''
This view is also held in
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
's 1968 encyclical ''
Humanae vitae
''Humanae vitae'' (Latin: ''Of Human Life'') is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and dated 25 July 1968. The text was issued at a Vatican press conference on 29 July. Subtitled ''On the Regulation of Birth'', it re-affirmed the teaching of ...
'', which says that "the Church does not consider at all illicit the use of those therapeutic means necessary to cure bodily diseases, even if a foreseeable impediment to procreation should result there from—provided such impediment is not directly intended for any motive whatsoever". Paul VI quotes
Pius XII
Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia.
It may refer to:
People Popes
* Pope Pius (disambiguation)
* Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect
Given name
* Pius B ...
in a 1953 address to the Italian Association of Urology. For example, the removal of a cancerous uterus is allowed if life at conception and beyond is not present in uterus, so removal of
uterus
The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...
is allowed but procreation is not possible when uterus is removed.
As distinct from therapeutic abortion
According to Archbishop
Jose Antonio Eguren in Peru, indirect abortion is not the same as a therapeutic abortion. Eguren asserts that indirect abortion is an extraordinary moral case which has nothing to do ‘therapeutic abortion’; in Catholic doctrine, therapeutic abortion simply does not exist, since abortion is never a cure for anything.
Possible confusion with direct abortion
According to
Elio Sgreccia, President of the
Pontifical Academy for Life
The Pontifical Academy for Life or Pontificia Accademia per la Vita is a Pontifical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to promoting the Church's consistent life ethic. It also does related research on bioethics and Catholic moral the ...
, a great number of indications for such abortions have lost their ''raison d'être''. He further asserts that the progressive extension of these indications beyond the scope of medicine has often been driven by political reasons, part of which are related to the
eugenics movement.
Tuberculosis, cardiopathies, vascular diseases, diseases of the hematopoietic system (some forms of anemia), kidney diseases, hepatic and pancreatic diseases, gastro-intestinal diseases, pregnancy-related chorea, myasthenia gravis, and tumors are all diseases claimed to be motives for indications.
However, a thorough study of each one of them shows that the medical basis of these motives is very limited, and that in the cases where, in the absence of a therapeutic alternative, there remains a real risk for the life or health of the woman, these cases are in a strong and progressive downward trend.
Pope Benedict XVI speech in Angola
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
later gave a
speech
Speech is a human vocal communication using language. Each language uses Phonetics, phonetic combinations of vowel and consonant sounds that form the sound of its words (that is, all English words sound different from all French words, even if ...
in
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
where he appeared to blur the distinction between indirect abortion and direct abortion. He condemned all forms of abortion, even those considered to be therapeutic. The
Holy See Press Office
The Holy See Press Office ( la, Sala Stampa Sanctae Sedis; it, Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, links=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/) publishes the official news of the activities of the Pope and of the various departments of the ...
subsequently reiterated the distinction between direct and indirect abortion, and commented that the allocution merely re-stated the Church's opposition to some sections of the gender-oriented
Maputo Protocol
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol, is an international human rights instrument established by the African Union that went into effect in 2005. I ...
.
Indirect treatments
There are licit and illicit approaches in dealing with
ectopic pregnancies
Ectopic pregnancy is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo attaches outside the uterus. Signs and symptoms classically include abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding, but fewer than 50 percent of affected women have both of these symptoms. ...
. The most commonly addressed by Catholic bioethicists is extrauterine tubal pregnancies in which salpingectomy is seen with consensus to be indirect while some claim salpingostomy and methotrexate to be indirect.
Of the other 7-10% of ectopic pregnancies, there are interstitial pregnancy and cesarean scar pregnancy. Hysterectomy is the common treatment of choice for interstitial pregnancy with a loss of fertility.
{, class="wikitable"
, + The licitness of techniques
[{{cite journal , last=Buskmiller , first=Cara , title=The Ethics of Interstitial and Cesarean Scar Ectopic Pregnancies: Four Case Studies and a Review of the Literature , journal=The Linacre Quarterly , volume=85 , issue=3 , date=2017-05-06 , pages=252–269 , pmid=30275610 , doi=10.1177/0024363918788858 , pmc=6161235 ]
! Technique !! Description !! Summary
, -
, Expectant management , , Awaiting embryonic or fetal death, or development of viable pregnancy , , Questionable, licit in some cases
, -
, Systemic methotrexate , , Antimetabolite interferes with DNA synthesis, prohibiting placental growth and also fetal growth , , Questionable, likely illicit
, -
, Intragestational methotrexate , , Antimetabolite administered directly into the amniotic cavity , , Questionable, likely illicit
, -
, Intragestational KCl , , Cardiotoxin injected into fetus or amniotic cavity leading to fetal death , , Illicit
, -
, Double-balloon catheter , , Compression of fetal body and placenta leading to cessation of blood flow and fetal death , , Illicit
, -
, Uterine artery embolization , , Occlusion of one or both uterine arteries to cut off blood supply to fetus or to decrease hemorrhage , , Illicit when used to cause fetal death; licit when used to prevent hemorrhage
, -
, Dilation and curettage , , Removal of products of conception in pieces through the cervix , , Illicit when performed on a living fetus, licit otherwise
, -
, Cornuostomy , , Perforation of the uterine cornu and removal of products of conception whole or in pieces , , Questionable when performed on a living fetus, licit otherwise
, -
, Salpingostomy , , Incision of the fallopian tube and removal of products of conception whole or in pieces , , Questionable when performed on a living fetus, licit otherwise
, -
, Cornual wedge resection , , Resection of an interstitial pregnancy and the part of the uterus enclosing it , , Licit
, -
, Gestational excision , , Removal of products of conception from a cesarean scar, whole or in pieces , , Illicit when performed on a living fetus, questionable otherwise
, -
, Scar excision , , Resection of a cesarean scar pregnancy and the part of the uterus enclosing it , , Licit
, -
, Scar revision (pregnancy salvage) , , Reinforcement of the cesarean scar in order to promote viable pregnancy , , Questionable
, -
, Hysterectomy , , Resection of the entire uterus including the ectopic pregnancy , , Licit, but generally to be avoided in order to preserve fertility, unless no other licit option is available
References
Catholic Church and abortion