MUNICH (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Reinhard Marx praised the current German abortion law that allows abortion up to twelve weeks for having “contributed to peace” in society.
In a sermon on Wednesday in Munich’s cathedral (Frauenkriche), the archbishop of Munich and Freising, who rejects Catholic teaching on various subjects, commented on the plans of the left-wing German government to decriminalize abortion.
The cardinal said that he hopes the federal government will be “smart enough” not to move away from the “hard-won compromise” of the current abortion law. Otherwise, there would be a risk of “a battle in society over the protection of human life.”
READ: Heretical German bishop says abortion is a ‘sensitive’ issue, will not participate in March for Life
Marx also commended what he framed as alleged positive sides of the current regulation, which leads to around 100,000 abortions in Germany every year.
Marx said the Church was not “overly happy” with the current “compromise.” However, he added that it had “contributed to peace” and claimed the present law kept both “the plight of the woman” and “the child’s right to life” in mind.
Abortion is currently still a criminal offense throughout pregnancy in Germany. However, it remains exempt from punishment in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, in cases of rape, and if the health of the mother is allegedly in danger. Direct abortion is always gravely immoral and never needed nor ethically justified to save a mother’s life.
In mid-April, a commission appointed by the pro-abortion German government presented recommendations for a revised regulation on abortion, including decriminalization and potentially allowing it until the 22nd week of pregnancy.
Marx, who is a staunch proponent of the heretical German Synodal Way, is not the first German bishop to defend the current law on abortion. Only two days prior to Marx’s comments, Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier said the present legal situation on abortion has contributed to “societal peace.” Ackermann called abortion a “sensitive” and complex matter and declared that he would not take part in the March for Life in Munich.
Moreover, in a discussion held in a brewery in March, another heretical prelate, Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers, called the current law allowing abortion up to 12 weeks a “viable compromise.”
READ: German bishop says nation’s law tolerating abortion up to 12 weeks is a ‘viable compromise’
Catholic teaching on abortion
The Catholic Church has always taught that abortion is a grave sin, in accordance with the Fifth Commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.”
“Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion,” the Catechism reads. “This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.”
READ: Female co-president of German ‘Synodal Way’ demands increased nationwide abortion access
The horror of first-trimester abortion
A video produced by Live Action shows what a first-trimester abortion of an unborn baby looks like. Tens of thousands of these procedures are currently carried a year in Germany with impunity due to a regulation that Marx and other German bishops praised for contributing to “peace” in society.
In the video, Dr. Beverly McMillan, an OB/GYN with 45 years of experience, explains “the development of the pre-born child from the moment of fertilization, when ‘the zygote has its own unique DNA, which determines sex, ethnicity, hair color, eye color, and countless other traits,’” Live Action notes.
McMillan points out that “between five and six weeks, when many women first discover they are pregnant, the heartbeat of the embryo can be detected” and that “at 11 weeks, all the vital organs are in place and the fetus can swallow, grasp an object, touch his or her face, sigh, and stretch. At 12 weeks, the fetus has unique fingerprints.”
She explains the process of a dilation and curettage (D&C) abortion as follows:
The suction machine is turned on, and the abortionist slowly rotates the cannula inside the uterus. The fetus is rapidly torn to pieces as it is pulled through the cannula and tubing into a large glass bottle, followed by the placenta. Sometimes smaller embryos are pulled through whole. Occasionally, the abortionist must remove the cannula and pull out body parts that have clogged the opening to complete the abortion. Once the abortionist thinks everything has been removed, she will sometimes use a long metal curette to scrape the lining of the uterus to make sure nothing is left behind.
“From there, the abortionist will reassemble the infant’s body to make sure nothing is left behind; if any body parts remain, it can be a life-threatening complication for the mother,” Live Action writer Cassy Fiano-Chesser explains in an article. “The risks of a D&C include damage to maternal organs, lacerations, infection, bleeding, and death. Abortion-related trauma or injury to the cervix can also put future pregnancies at risk.”
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