Ask a Question - or - Return to the Faith and Spirituality Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Ectopic pregancy	Faith	Sunday, January 9, 2005
Question: I am curious...what is the church's position on how to handle an ectopic pregancy. If I understand the condition correctly, an egg becomes fertilized OUTSIDE of the womb, and most likely in one of the fallopian tubes. Not only can the developing embryo not grow properly in the tube or anywhere else outside of the womb, the subsequent rupturing of the fallopian tube can kill the woman. I think even if it doesn't kill her, it can permanently damage her tubes making future pregnancies impossible or unlikely. My question surrounds the fact that often the developing fetus is intact and alive, its just that it cannot grow in that environment. I believe in most cases where an ectopic pregnancy is suspected, physicians immediately go in and remove the pregnancy. I suppose in the old days women just died from this or suffered the complications of a ruptured tube. How should a woman handle this?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Faith: The situation of Ectopic pregnancy is resolved according to the doctrine called "double effect." The doctrine of double effect states: Double Effect is the principle that says it is morally allowable to perform an act that has at least two effects, one good and one bad. It may be used under the following conditions: the act to be done must be good in itself or at least morally indifferent; by the act to be done is meant the deed itself taken independently of its consequences; the good effect must not be obtained by means of the evil effect; the evil must be only an incidental by-product and not an actual factor in the accomplishment of the good; the evil effect must not be intended for itself but only permitted; all bad will must be excluded from the act; there must be a proportionately grave reason for permitting the evil effect. At least the good and evil effects should be nearly equivlent. ALL FOUR conditions must be fulfilled. If any one of them is not satisfied, the act is morally wrong. The surgery required to save the mother's life is a good in itself. This good (this surgery) is obtained through proper means in which the death of the baby is an incidential by-product of the surgery; the baby will die regardless. The death of the baby is not directly intended, but is permitted in order to accomplish the medical procedure. There is grave reason to perform the procedure since without it both baby and mother will die. This issue, however, is rather complicated. For example, tubal pregnancies are not the only type of Ectopic Pregrancy. To discuss the full details, see the article: Ectopic for Discussion: A Catholic Approach to Tubal Pregnancies (this is a PDF file. You must have Acrobat Reader on your computer). God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary P.S. If you need to download a free version of Acrobat Reader, click on the button below: 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

Ectopic pregancy

Faith

Sunday, January 9, 2005

Question:

I am curious...what is the church's position on how to handle an ectopic pregancy. If I understand the condition correctly, an egg becomes fertilized OUTSIDE of the womb, and most likely in one of the fallopian tubes.

Not only can the developing embryo not grow properly in the tube or anywhere else outside of the womb, the subsequent rupturing of the fallopian tube can kill the woman. I think even if it doesn't kill her, it can permanently damage her tubes making future pregnancies impossible or unlikely.

My question surrounds the fact that often the developing fetus is intact and alive, its just that it cannot grow in that environment. I believe in most cases where an ectopic pregnancy is suspected, physicians immediately go in and remove the pregnancy.

I suppose in the old days women just died from this or suffered the complications of a ruptured tube.

How should a woman handle this?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Faith:

The situation of Ectopic pregnancy is resolved according to the doctrine called "double effect."

The doctrine of double effect states:

Double Effect is the principle that says it is morally allowable to perform an act that has at least two effects, one good and one bad. It may be used under the following conditions:
the act to be done must be good in itself or at least morally indifferent; by the act to be done is meant the deed itself taken independently of its consequences;
the good effect must not be obtained by means of the evil effect; the evil must be only an incidental by-product and not an actual factor in the accomplishment of the good;
the evil effect must not be intended for itself but only permitted; all bad will must be excluded from the act;
there must be a proportionately grave reason for permitting the evil effect. At least the good and evil effects should be nearly equivlent.
ALL FOUR conditions must be fulfilled. If any one of them is not satisfied, the act is morally wrong.

The surgery required to save the mother's life is a good in itself. This good (this surgery) is obtained through proper means in which the death of the baby is an incidential by-product of the surgery; the baby will die regardless. The death of the baby is not directly intended, but is permitted in order to accomplish the medical procedure. There is grave reason to perform the procedure since without it both baby and mother will die.

This issue, however, is rather complicated. For example, tubal pregnancies are not the only type of Ectopic Pregrancy. To discuss the full details, see the article: Ectopic for Discussion: A Catholic Approach to Tubal Pregnancies (this is a PDF file. You must have Acrobat Reader on your computer).

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

P.S. If you need to download a free version of Acrobat Reader, click on the button below:

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