Vatican to address abortions in Catholic hospitals

Last updated on: November 15, 2012 at 11:05 pm by CNA Daily News

Vatican to address abortions in Catholic hospitals 2012-11-15T23:05:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Nov 15, 2012 / 04:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- During its upcoming conference, the Pontifical Council for Health Care will address the problem of abortion and other practices against Church teaching at some Catholic hospitals around the world.

The president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, said the Nov. 15-17 gathering in Rome will discuss “the serious challenge of preserving the identity of Catholic hospitals.”

He criticized the “political pressure” levied against Catholic hospitals in some countries to force them to provide abortions in violation of Church teaching.

Jose Maria Simon Castellvi, a member of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, told CNA on Nov. 14 that the issue is especially troubling, given that from the Church's perspective, “human life is inviolable from conception to natural death.”

“If the head obstetrician is not pro-life and family care is not offered, either abortions are performed there or patients are referred to other places to obtain them,” he said.

“This is terrible, but it happens. I think mothers should always be given the best care, so that nobody manipulates them into abortion.”

On abortions allegedly taking place at hospitals linked to the Catholic Church in Catalonia in Spain, Simon Castellvi said the Archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistach “tells me that there are no abortions at the San Pablo Hospital. So right now, I can’t do anything more.”

On Oct. 5, Catholic News Agency's South American affiliate ACI Prensa posted a video that showed that abortions are taking place at the hospital despite the repeated denials by Cardinal Martinez Sistach.

The video featured a doctor recommending a pregnant woman be tested to see if her unborn child had Down’s Syndrome, which she could use to justify obtaining an abortion.

Asked if an abortion could be obtained at the hospital, the doctor told the woman that while “at this hospital we don’t terminate pregnancies unless it is an extremely grave problem,” she could obtain an abortion “if it was somewhere else besides here.”

Fr. Custodio Ballester, the pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Barcelona and one of the first to denounce the Catholic hospitals in Catalonia that are providing or recommending abortions, said, “The Church’s credibility is on the line” with the conference on Catholic hospitals.

“We’ll see if they just stick to the principles, which are sufficiently clear, or if they apply them, especially here in Barcelona,” he said.

Fr. Ballester said the hospitals in question are under fire as well for “genetic experimentation, embryo selection for eugenics, abortion pills that some Church leaders think are safe.”

“In Rome there is an excess of guidance and a lack of concrete decisions on what do” about this problem at Catholic hospitals, he added.

Nearly 600 experts from around the world are expected to attend the international conference. According to data from the Holy See, there are some 120,000 Catholic health care institutions in the world.

Vatican

Previous Post

November 15, 2012

Vatican office unveils Faith Scroll for pilgrims

Next Post

November 16, 2012 Benedict XVI's final book on Jesus coming out next week

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Paul taught the Galatians that circumcision is necessary for salvation.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE