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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Gisella Perl	Claire	Monday, August 30, 2004
Question: Dear Brother, A few months ago I saw an biographical move called "Out of the Ashes" that told the life of a Jewish gynecologist, Dr. Gisella Perl's life during the Holocaust in Auschwitz. Because Joseph Mangela liked to do 'experiments' on pregnant women and then send them to be gased, Dr. Perl would abort those womens babies to spare them from this. They said that she aborted over 1,000 babies in the years she was there. My question is, was it morally acceptable for her to do that because she was trying to do was save the lives of those women? Thanks, Claire
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Claire: No, it is not morally acceptible to kill a baby to save the mother from the gas chamber. One of the most fundamental teachings of moral theology is "the ends do not justify the means". We cannot accept an evil act (abortion) even it the result of the evil act is a positive good (life of mother is saved from the gas chamber). In some camps, the Nazis also killed mothers who had children. If it is morally acceptible to abort a baby to save the mother from the death in the gas chambers, then it would be morally acceptible to kill an infant, or a 4 year old, to protect the mother from the gas chamber. I doubt if anyone would suggest that. We need to remember that there is NO difference between a unborn baby and a born baby. Both are innocent human beings and to kill them is inherently and morally wrong and evil. If it is wrong to kill a 4 year old in this circumstance, then it is equally wrong to kill an unborn baby. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Gisella Perl

Claire

Monday, August 30, 2004

Question:

Dear Brother,

A few months ago I saw an biographical move called "Out of the Ashes" that told the life of a Jewish gynecologist, Dr. Gisella Perl's life during the Holocaust in Auschwitz. Because Joseph Mangela liked to do 'experiments' on pregnant women and then send them to be gased, Dr. Perl would abort those womens babies to spare them from this. They said that she aborted over 1,000 babies in the years she was there. My question is, was it morally acceptable for her to do that because she was trying to do was save the lives of those women?

Thanks,

Claire

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Claire:

No, it is not morally acceptible to kill a baby to save the mother from the gas chamber. One of the most fundamental teachings of moral theology is "the ends do not justify the means". We cannot accept an evil act (abortion) even it the result of the evil act is a positive good (life of mother is saved from the gas chamber).

In some camps, the Nazis also killed mothers who had children. If it is morally acceptible to abort a baby to save the mother from the death in the gas chambers, then it would be morally acceptible to kill an infant, or a 4 year old, to protect the mother from the gas chamber. I doubt if anyone would suggest that.

We need to remember that there is NO difference between a unborn baby and a born baby. Both are innocent human beings and to kill them is inherently and morally wrong and evil. If it is wrong to kill a 4 year old in this circumstance, then it is equally wrong to kill an unborn baby.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum