Catholic Bishops Condemn Abortion in Cases of Rape: Killing a Baby is Wrong No Matter How Conceived

International   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Aug 16, 2019   |   5:20PM   |   Mexico City, Mexico

Every baby’s life is valuable, no matter how he or she is conceived, Catholic leaders emphasized this week in reaction to a Mexican Supreme Court decision expanding abortions in cases of rape.

Most of Mexico prohibits abortions, with the exception of Mexico City. There, unborn babies may be aborted for any reason up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, a recent Mexican Supreme Court decision expanded abortions throughout the country by permitting abortions in cases of rape at any public health facility, according to the Catholic News Service.

The ruling allows unborn babies to be aborted even if a criminal complaint has not been filed with police; it also allows girls as young as 12 to abort their unborn babies without the permission of a parent or guardian, according to the report.

The Mexican Catholic bishops’ conference urged society to find a better way to help the victims of sexual abuse than through the violence of abortion.

“It is imperative to signal that the unrestricted practice of abortion does not constitute a real solution and profound solution to the problem of sexual violence against women,” the bishops said in a statement Tuesday.

“We say clearly: Respect for the right to life cannot be infringed upon by the circumstances in which a human being is conceived,” they continued.

The bishops said the issue is not just a religious one but a matter of basic human rights.

“The Mexican bishops are not trying to impose a religious concept on the life and dignity of the embryo, rather adhere to the guarantee of the right to life, which should be administered by a government respectful of human rights,” they said.

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Rape is a horrific crime, and pro-life advocates across the world work daily to help victims of sexual abuse. Pregnancy resource centers provide free counseling and material support, while a number of pro-life groups lobby for laws that prohibit the rapist from obtaining custody of their child.

What pro-life advocates cannot support is more violence. An abortion violently destroys the life of an innocent unborn child. When that child is conceived in rape, he or she is a second victim who also deserves to be protected. Every human being, no matter how they are conceived, should have a right to life.