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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
emergency Birth control pill in case of rape???	Linda	Monday, May 21, 2007
Question: Dear Brother Ignatius; In my state, the Legislature is trying to pass a bill forcing the Catholic hospitals to perform abortions for rape victims. In an article the Bishop of the diocese wrote an explaination why this is wrong and the Church's stand on abortion. It seems that the Catholic Hospitals are already giving out Birth Control pills after a test to see if the women has ovulated if she comes to the hospital after being raped. If the test is negative they give her the Birth Control pill. Here is a quote made by the Bishop in the local Catholic paper: "Let me say from the outset that if the bill were only about emergency contraception, there would not be a problem. Traditional Catholic moral theology allows for emergency contraception for a woman who is the victim of rape. What we cannot allow is abortion......If the woman is not preagnant or is not ovulating, Plan B, the hormonal pill, may be administered as a contraceptive, preventing ovulation." The Bishop seems to believe that the Plan B pill will only delay ovulation but Pro-life groups have serious doubts about that. Many believe it works as an abortifacient and does not delay ovulation. But even if it did, is a non-abortifacient birth control pill allowed in a situation of rape? The pill has not a anti-bacteria or anti-AIDS virus purpose. It's only purpose is to prevent ovulation so how can that be allowed even in the case of rape by the Catholic Church? If it is allowed could you tell me the sources of the "traditional Catholic moral theology".
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Linda: Well the Pontifical Academy for Life says that any agent that may have an abortifacient effect cannot be used. Read their statement. In the New York case of the so-called "morning after" pill, John B. Shea, M.D., FRCP in the Social Justice review gives an excellent analysis of the whole issue including on whether or not it is really possible to know of the woman has not ovulated yet. Read his article here. Another good article on this issue is on the Lifesite Website. A discussion of the Bishops advisory for health care service is found here (pdf). In the situation where a women knows she is pregnant and purposely takes the morning-after pill, she incurs an automatic excommunication according to Fr. Gino Concetti writing in the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. He said that like abortion, pills that prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall "destroy a human being already called into existence even if it was not wanted and was conceived in a casual encounter." According to canon law, "a person who procures a completed abortion incurs an automatic excommunication." There is no such thing as a non-abortifacient contraceptive pill that I know of. But if there were, what are the moral imperatives? Well, the Conference of Bishops say: “A female who has been raped should be able to defend herself against a potential conception from the sexual assault. If after appropriate testing, there is no evidence that conception has occurred already, she may be treated with medications that would prevent ovulation, sperm capacitation, or fertilization. It is not permissible, however, to initiate or to recommend treatments that have as their purpose or direct effect the removal, destruction, or interference with the implantation of a fertilized ovum." 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

emergency Birth control pill in case of rape???

Linda

Monday, May 21, 2007

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatius;

In my state, the Legislature is trying to pass a bill forcing the Catholic hospitals to perform abortions for rape victims. In an article the Bishop of the diocese wrote an explaination why this is wrong and the Church's stand on abortion. It seems that the Catholic Hospitals are already giving out Birth Control pills after a test to see if the women has ovulated if she comes to the hospital after being raped. If the test is negative they give her the Birth Control pill.

Here is a quote made by the Bishop in the local Catholic paper: "Let me say from the outset that if the bill were only about emergency contraception, there would not be a problem. Traditional Catholic moral theology allows for emergency contraception for a woman who is the victim of rape. What we cannot allow is abortion......If the woman is not preagnant or is not ovulating, Plan B, the hormonal pill, may be administered as a contraceptive, preventing ovulation."

The Bishop seems to believe that the Plan B pill will only delay ovulation but Pro-life groups have serious doubts about that. Many believe it works as an abortifacient and does not delay ovulation. But even if it did, is a non-abortifacient birth control pill allowed in a situation of rape? The pill has not a anti-bacteria or anti-AIDS virus purpose. It's only purpose is to prevent ovulation so how can that be allowed even in the case of rape by the Catholic Church?

If it is allowed could you tell me the sources of the "traditional Catholic moral theology".

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Linda:

Well the Pontifical Academy for Life says that any agent that may have an abortifacient effect cannot be used. Read their statement.

In the New York case of the so-called "morning after" pill, John B. Shea, M.D., FRCP in the Social Justice review gives an excellent analysis of the whole issue including on whether or not it is really possible to know of the woman has not ovulated yet. Read his article here.

Another good article on this issue is on the Lifesite Website.

A discussion of the Bishops advisory for health care service is found here (pdf).

In the situation where a women knows she is pregnant and purposely takes the morning-after pill, she incurs an automatic excommunication according to Fr. Gino Concetti writing in the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. He said that like abortion, pills that prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall "destroy a human being already called into existence even if it was not wanted and was conceived in a casual encounter." According to canon law, "a person who procures a completed abortion incurs an automatic excommunication."

There is no such thing as a non-abortifacient contraceptive pill that I know of. But if there were, what are the moral imperatives?

Well, the Conference of Bishops say:

“A female who has been raped should be able to defend herself against a potential conception from the sexual assault. If after appropriate testing, there is no evidence that conception has occurred already, she may be treated with medications that would prevent ovulation, sperm capacitation, or fertilization. It is not permissible, however, to initiate or to recommend treatments that have as their purpose or direct effect the removal, destruction, or interference with the implantation of a fertilized ovum."

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