SHORT REFLECTION ON A DIFFICULT TOPIC : abortion

The intervention of Mr. Cardinal Ouellet at a Québec Pro-Life Campaign in Quebec City brought back the topic of abortion at the forefront of the news. Already, the Harper government's decision not to include abortion in its plan for maternal health of women in the Third World had been the talk in the Canada’s households.

Once again, we can see how much this topic is difficult to discuss publicly and how emotions rise rapidly to the surface. 

The position of the Catholic Church is well known: the Church is "pro-life". It is probably also one of the most known of the moral teachings. This is a position that the Church shares with many other people coming from different backgrounds in our society; the Church is not alone in her "pro- life" position.

But what does it mean «to be pro-life»? This means, initially, to have principles which guide us in a position in favour of life. But it also means doing things that help to protect life wherever it is particularly threatened: 

• What can be done for this young 15 years old girl who discovers that she is pregnant and fears the reaction of her parents and who suffers all sorts of pressures that drive her towards abortion?
  
  
  
• What support can be brought to this young woman whose husband leaves her when he learns that she is pregnant?

• Which door can be opened to this young mother who finds herself pregnant while she already has three other mouths to feed and no longer knows how to make ends meet?

These examples remind us that it is not enough, in our "pro-life" position to recall the principles. We must provide alternatives to those who see abortion as the only option. We know very well the words of Jesus reported in Mt.26:

"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink ..." 

Maybe I could add nowadays: "I was pregnant and I panicked and you stood by me." 

To act in this way is in line with a long tradition of the Church, a tradition which consists in answering the practical needs of persons. In times and in societies when people do not care for the sick, the Church opens hospitals. In times and societies when the education of children is not given much attention, the Church opens school.

In our world where, for some women, abortion appears to be the only possible option to escape a difficult situation, what can the Church do? 

The charity of Christians is probably inventive enough to find compassionate responses, whether by listening, accompanying personally and even with the help of institutional resources as they exist in some quarters.