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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Bishops of the US and rape	claire	Sunday, December 7, 2008
Question: Hello and God bless, I thank you for your earlier response in regards to abortion. The Catholic lay people I spoke with still disagree and even say you and I are wrong and question this site's faithfullness to the Vatican. I know you are faithful. I had presented your response to some people who still disagree - they say the Vatican has not released any official statement and as such they are to be obedient to the U.S. Bishops who have basically said it's OK to use emergency contraceptive for rape victims, such as Plan B if tests show the victim is not pregnant. My understanding is that only later tests are available - there is no immediate same day test to show if a woman has conceived, thus what good is administering the emergency contraceptive or other means several days/weeks after the fact of the rape? What exactly has the Vatican actually said since these people don't agree with Vatican's archbishop's statement? These people I communicated with say the archbishop speaking about Plan B that it is not to be used IF the woman is pregnant, but they say it can be used IF tests show the woman is not pregnant. That this is the Church's stance from the U.S. Bishops. I appreciate any clarification on this topic since there are some Catholics who seem to think they are correct to listen to the US Bishops who were ill advised by the CHA, and say there is no statement from the Vatican correcting these Bishops. Thank you and God bless, Claire
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Claire: There appears to be a misunderstanding as to what I have posted. In my response to your post I did not deal with contraceptives for non-pregnant rape victims at all. I discussed ectopic pregnancy and the abortion of babies conceived in rape. The Church condemns abortion for any reason. If your friends disagree with that then they, not me, are not only faithful to the Church, but are in sin. The issue of using contraceptives with a rape victim who is not pregnant is a different subject that I did not address in my response to you. That subject I did address in another post. In that post the U.S. bishops and statements in Bioethics books that have imprimaturs were quoted. Contraceptives to prevent conception can be used in rape cases, but one must be sure that the woman is not pregnant or ovulating before these medications may be used. Contraception or any other medication or procedure that destroys a conceived baby is not permitted. The statements reflect official teaching of the Holy See and the U.S. Bishops. If you friends believe otherwise they need to prove it. 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

Bishops of the US and rape

claire

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Question:

Hello and God bless,

I thank you for your earlier response in regards to abortion.

The Catholic lay people I spoke with still disagree and even say you and I are wrong and question this site's faithfullness to the Vatican. I know you are faithful.

I had presented your response to some people who still disagree - they say the Vatican has not released any official statement and as such they are to be obedient to the U.S. Bishops who have basically said it's OK to use emergency contraceptive for rape victims, such as Plan B if tests show the victim is not pregnant. My understanding is that only later tests are available - there is no immediate same day test to show if a woman has conceived, thus what good is administering the emergency contraceptive or other means several days/weeks after the fact of the rape? What exactly has the Vatican actually said since these people don't agree with Vatican's archbishop's statement? These people I communicated with say the archbishop speaking about Plan B that it is not to be used IF the woman is pregnant, but they say it can be used IF tests show the woman is not pregnant. That this is the Church's stance from the U.S. Bishops.

I appreciate any clarification on this topic since there are some Catholics who seem to think they are correct to listen to the US Bishops who were ill advised by the CHA, and say there is no statement from the Vatican correcting these Bishops.

Thank you and God bless,
Claire

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Claire:

There appears to be a misunderstanding as to what I have posted.

In my response to your post I did not deal with contraceptives for non-pregnant rape victims at all. I discussed ectopic pregnancy and the abortion of babies conceived in rape. The Church condemns abortion for any reason. If your friends disagree with that then they, not me, are not only faithful to the Church, but are in sin.

The issue of using contraceptives with a rape victim who is not pregnant is a different subject that I did not address in my response to you.

That subject I did address in another post. In that post the U.S. bishops and statements in Bioethics books that have imprimaturs were quoted.

Contraceptives to prevent conception can be used in rape cases, but one must be sure that the woman is not pregnant or ovulating before these medications may be used. Contraception or any other medication or procedure that destroys a conceived baby is not permitted.

The statements reflect official teaching of the Holy See and the U.S. Bishops. If you friends believe otherwise they need to prove it.

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