Archbishop's House 42 Greenhill Gardens Edinburgh EH10 4BJ		Archbishop's House Ambrosden Avenue London SW1P 1QJ

22nd October 2007
 

Open Letter on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act from the
Presidents of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Scotland and England and Wales

The 40th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act is an important moment for reflection. It gives
us all an opportunity to seek to cherish human life and to support women in difficult
circumstances. The law affects attitudes, but it does not itself compel anyone to have an
abortion. Even without a change in the law the abortion rate could fall dramatically if enough
minds and hearts were changed.

The miraculous nature of human reproduction has become ever more apparent through
recent advances in medical technology. In 1967 Ultrasound was a primitive tool. Ultrasound
scanners today can reveal in extraordinary detail the development of a human life in the
womb. Premature babies are now able to survive at ever younger ages. Developmental
biology makes increasingly clear the beautiful and intricate processes of continuous
development and growth of the single unique organism which is formed at conception. That
is when our lives started. From that point on, there is a new human life which is neither the
life of the father nor the mother. In 2007 we understand better than ever before, because we
have seen it with our own eyes, the wonderful process of life that is brought to an end by
abortion.

The 1967 Act was intended to solve the problem of illegal abortion, on the basis that it was a
major cause of death in pregnant women. Yet our countries now perform nearly 200,000
abortions every year. We have one of the most liberal abortion laws in Europe with abortion
up to 24 weeks and abortion in the case of disability (and on some other grounds) up to birth.
Whatever our religious creed or political conviction, abortion on this scale can only be a
source of distress and profound anguish for us all. The Catholic Church throughout the world
has been constant in its opposition to abortion as morally wrong, and has been determined to
give voice to the silent cry for love and recognition that belongs to every human life. The
Church has for many years in our countries been at the forefront of offering practical,
emotional and spiritual care to women and babies in need. It has sought, too, to help the
many women, and men, who suffer grief, pain and loss following an abortion experience.

In the years since 1967 much has been made of the slogan ‘the woman’s right to choose’.
Yet the right to make a genuine choice is exactly what very many women who have abortions
say they do not have.

Abortion is a moment of choice. Abortion is always a choice between life and death, but we
recognize that it is made in complex personal and domestic situations. It can be especially
difficult for the mother if she feels abandoned by her partner or that by having the child she
will lose the support of her family or society. Women in this situation can feel intensely
isolated. Many women and men, too, already feel the pressure of caring for their families.
They often have to cope with financial burdens and the demands of a career. In such
situations, family relationships can feel so strained that they do not feel they can welcome
another life. If the pregnancy is unwanted it can be easier to argue that it is somehow in the
interests of the child not to be born because the child will not be welcomed. At times, the life
of the child is seen as an unnecessary limitation on the mother and the father. The child’s life
is placed in opposition to theirs. When this happens abortion can be portrayed as the lesser
of two evils which removes an obstacle to the “success” of the parents’ lives. Yet life,
especially new life, is ultimately never a deprivation. It is a gift that always enriches; a
promise filled with hope. We should never let ourselves be persuaded otherwise.

Often, ‘a woman’s right to choose’ fails to acknowledge the role of the father. It seems to
pass over the fact that the majority of men do want to be fathers of their children. If we
accept 'a woman's right to choose' as the governing principle of such a profound choice
between life and death, then rather than encouraging men to accept responsibility, it can
support their denial or avoidance.

For everyone involved, abortion will often have been a painful and shattering decision. For
many women it is one in which they, perhaps even as much as their unborn child, will have
been the victim. This is why we believe that abortion is not only a personal choice, it is about
the choices our society makes to support women, their partners and families in these
situations. If our society makes life its choice then there is no reason why the child, the
mother and the father, and indeed the whole family of society cannot grow to fulfill their
potential. Abortion robs everyone of their future. Individually and as a society we believe we
have another choice: to give birth to life.

How can we all help bring about change? There is nothing to stop our society from acting
now to foster a new understanding and approach to relationships, responsibility and mutual
support:

•      By being parents and families who cherish life and support our daughters and sons in
       making decisions which are responsibly pro-life.

•      By providing sympathetic counselling and help for young women who find themselves
       pregnant.

•      By providing more and better facilities to support and help young mothers who
       choose to have their babies.

•      By dismantling a conveyor belt that can often take a young woman through to having
       an early abortion without any of the alternatives being properly explored or resourced.
       Making genuine freedom of choice a reality is the first and crucial step in a
       fundamental change of mind and heart.

•      By supporting and developing better educational programmes which place the gift of
       sexual relations within the context of marriage and fidelity. Such programmes can
       help people understand realistically the joy and sacred responsibility of parenthood.
       They can inform them about the resources available within the Catholic Church and
       society for supporting families and parents at moments of difficulty.

•      By respecting and supporting the decision of those in healthcare who refuse to
       perform or assist in abortions on grounds of conscience.

•      By pressing for achievable change in the law in the light of advances in medical
       developments, even if Parliament will not abolish the law. Whilst upholding the
       principle of the sacredness of human life, it is both licit and important for those in
       public life who oppose abortion on principle to work and vote for achievable
       incremental improvement to what is an unjust law.

The Catholic faith lets us see the radiant glory of human life from its beginning to its end.
When we know that every person whatever their age, race or condition carries the image of
God, we see their infinite value and dignity. Whether we have this vision of faith or not,
cherishing life is the central value of every society that wants to flourish.

The Catholic Church offers to participate with others in working for this timely change of heart
and mind. We hope and pray for the sake of our common humanity, and the lives at stake,
that the next 40 years will tell a very different story. The time to take a different path is now.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien President Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland		Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor President Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales