By Gudrun Schultz
MONACO, November 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Permitting deliberate abortion for medical reasons or rape will inevitably lead to abortion on demand, Archbishop Bernard Barsi of Monaco said in a statement issued Oct. 12 to all churches in the Monaco diocese, in response to a private bill calling for increased abortion access.
“A bill has been put forward at the National Council in order to legalize certain kinds of abortions,” Archbishop Barsi stated. “Even before we know the result of the procedure that has just begun, and of the contradictory debates that will come from this, I must remind you of a few fundamental principles that come not from a religious morality, but from the natural law itself, that applies to all modern civilized societies:
“The progress of science has taught us that life begins at conception. What we term “interruption of pregnancy”, no matter what the motive—remains an abortion—that is, a suppression of human life. One of the most fundamental human rights is the integrity of the person at all stages of life. Civil law must never abridge the moral law.”
The tiny nation of Monaco does not permit abortion under any circumstances, excepting only extreme cases when a woman’s life is in danger. Opening up the law to permit abortions under certain circumstances would eventually lead to legal abortion on demand, the Archbishop said, pointing to the progression of laws permitting abortion in countries with no restrictions on the procedure.
“Informed by the experiment of all the other countries,” Archbishop Barsi said, “I fear allowing abortions on medical grounds will lead, sooner or later, to the total liberalization of abortion.”
He called instead for increased support in society for women and families dealing with difficult pregnancies.
“It’s not by legalizing the ‘interruption of pregnancies for medical motives or rape’ that we will help women, couples and families; we must in fact accompany women by putting in place concrete measures within our institutions to foster solidarity.”
“I wish that with the courage of the truth, without rhetoric or propaganda, in the respect of the convictions of each one, we seek together to build a model country where life at its very beginning will always be respected.”
See Archbishop Barsi’s statement to the diocese: https://www.eglise-catholique.mc/quoideneuf/communiqueeveque.htm