MAINZ, Germany, Jan 27 (LSN) – The German Catholic Bishops’ Conference revealed today that Catholic agencies in Germany will stop issuing abortion-counselling certificates. The announcement came in response to a letter from Pope John Paul II. In the five-page letter, the pontiff wrote, “I would like to urgently request that you, dear brothers, find ways so that a certificate of this nature is no longer issued in church advice centers or in centers which are affiliated to the church.” Bishop Karl Lehmann, of Mainz, told reporters “We will meet the pope’s request. In no way will we withdraw from the state counselling system and we will fully use the room we have for manoeuver.” According to German law, a woman who wants an abortion must discuss her decision first with a counselling service. She then receives a certificate to confirm she has been counselled and can have the abortion afterwards if she wishes. A quarter of Germany’s more than 1,000 abortion counselling clinics are run by the Catholic Church. Around 131,000 abortions were carried out in Germany in 1996.
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GERMAN RC CHURCH TO END ABORTION CERTIFICATES
MAINZ, Germany, Jan 27 (LSN) – The German Catholic Bishops’ Conference revealed today that Catholic agencies in Germany will stop issuing abortion-counselling certificates. The announcement came in response to a letter from Pope John Paul II. In the five-page letter, the pontiff wrote, “I would like to urgently request that you, dear brothers, find ways so that a certificate of this nature is no longer issued in church advice centers or in centers which are affiliated to the church.” Bishop Karl Lehmann, of Mainz, told reporters “We will meet the pope’s request. In no way will we withdraw from the […]
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