Janus Rasmus

Personhood of the Embryo Janus Rasmus

Catholic teaching on the personhood of the unborn has been inconsistent and inconclusive from the beginning, but the Churchmen's condemnation of induced abortion in general has been consistent as in most religions and societies, condoning abortion either as a venial sin or as a mortal sin but with restrictions; that is, without unequivocally equating all abortions with homicide. The central issue has not been whether the fertilized ovum from the moment of conception is a human being; rather, the central issue has been this: Is induced abortion at least under certain circumstances, like in unintended or unwanted pregnancies, permissible or can be tolerated after the fact even though it is being frowned upon? If the answer is no, then one has to justify the extreme pro-life position by arguing that the foetus from the moment of conception is a human person. The Catholic Church has never consistently taught that the foetus from the moment of conception is a human person. The Church did so in order to address the personal and pastoral issues of unwanted and unintended pregnancies. On the other hand, if abortion under certain circumstances is permissible or has been tolerated at least after the fact, then there are grave doubts as to whether the foetus has always been perceived as a human person with all legal rights.