Why Is the Church Against Abortion and Euthanasia?

The Short Answer

The Church teaches that every innocent human life is sacred, from conception to natural death, and that no one may deliberately take it. Abortion ends the life of a human being before birth; euthanasia ends the life of a sick, disabled or dying person. “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception” (CCC 2270), and euthanasia, “whatever its motives and means,” is “morally unacceptable” (CCC 2277). This is not indifference to suffering. The Church is one of the largest providers of care for mothers, children, the sick and the dying in the world, and she offers mercy to everyone who has been involved in either.

Many people see things differently. They hold that a woman must have control over her own body, that the dying should be able to choose when and how they die, and that a religious body has no business imposing its views on those who do not share them. These are sincere convictions, held by many people of good will, and they deserve an honest answer.

What the Church Does and Does Not Claim

The Church does not claim:

That women who have had abortions are beyond forgiveness. Pope Francis gave all priests permanent faculty to absolve the sin of abortion, so that anyone who repents can be reconciled (Misericordia et Misera 12, 2016).
That everything must be done to keep a dying person alive. It can be right to stop treatment that is “burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome.” In such cases “one does not will to cause death; one’s inability to impede it is merely accepted” (CCC 2278).
That pain relief is wrong if it may shorten life. Painkillers may be used to relieve suffering even at the risk of shortening life, provided death is not intended (CCC 2279).
That every medical procedure which results in the death of an unborn child is abortion. Treatment necessary to save the mother’s life, such as removing a cancerous womb, which is not aimed at the child’s death, is not a direct abortion.
That these are only “religious” questions. The Church argues from reason and biology as well as from faith.

The Church does claim that “direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder” (St John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae 62), and that direct euthanasia, which “consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons,” is morally unacceptable whatever its motives (CCC 2277).

Why Catholics Believe It

The unborn child is a human being

From conception, the embryo is a living, distinct human organism with its own genetic identity, developing continuously through every stage we all went through. Scripture speaks of the unborn as persons known by God: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5); “you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). When Mary greeted Elizabeth, the unborn John the Baptist “leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44).

If the unborn child is a human being, then deliberately ending that life is taking an innocent human life, whatever the circumstances. That is why the Church says, with the commandment, “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13).

This has always been the Christian view

The Church’s teaching is not new. “Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion” (CCC 2271). The Didache, one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament, explicitly forbids killing a child by abortion and killing a newborn. Early Christians were known for rescuing infants abandoned to die, a practice the Roman world accepted.

Life is a gift, not a possession

Euthanasia rests on the idea that a life can become not worth living, and that we may end it. The Church teaches that every human life has a dignity that does not depend on health, ability or usefulness. “Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect” (CCC 2276). We do not own our lives as property: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

Dying well, not killing

The Church’s alternative to euthanasia is not prolonged suffering, but good care. “Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity” (CCC 2279). Modern palliative medicine can relieve most pain and distress. The Church asks that the dying be accompanied, not abandoned, and that no one be made to feel they are a burden whose death would be a relief to others.

Common Objections

”It’s my body, my choice.”

Every woman has authority over her own body, and the Church affirms her dignity without reservation. But in pregnancy there are two bodies, two lives. The child is not a part of the mother, like an organ, but a distinct human being living within her. The question is not whether a woman may choose, but whether anyone may choose to end another human life.

”What about pregnancy after rape, or a child with a severe disability?”

These are among the hardest situations anyone can face, and they call for the deepest compassion and practical help. But the child conceived through violence is innocent of it, and a child with a disability has the same dignity as any other. The Church’s answer is not to end the child’s life, but to surround mother and child with support. (See What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Abortion and the Value of Human Life?)

”People should be free to die with dignity.”

Dignity does not depend on independence, control or freedom from suffering. A person who is dying, dependent and in need of care has exactly the same dignity as anyone else. Laws that allow assisted death also send a message to the elderly, the disabled and the depressed that their lives may be less worth living, and many worry that they will feel pressure to choose it.

”The Church shouldn’t impose its religion on others.”

The Church’s argument rests on what a human being is and on the equal dignity of every human life. Those are not specifically religious claims. Many people who are not Catholic, and some who are not religious at all, oppose abortion and euthanasia for the same reasons. In a democracy, everyone may argue for laws that protect those who cannot protect themselves.

In Summary

The Church opposes abortion and euthanasia because every innocent human life has a dignity that no one may take away, from conception to natural death. She does not require that life be prolonged at any cost, and she supports pain relief and palliative care. She does not condemn those who have been involved in abortion or euthanasia, but offers them God’s mercy. Her answer to the hardest cases is not death, but care: for the mother and her child, and for the sick and the dying.

This article follows the method St Robert Bellarmine used in his Controversies*: state the question fairly, clear away misunderstandings, make the case, then answer each objection. See How We Answer Objections.*

Sources

Scripture: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Press). Exodus 20:13; Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41–44; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 2258–2283. vatican.va
St John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae (1995), 57–66.
Pope Francis, Misericordia et Misera (2016), 12.
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Samaritanus Bonus (2020), on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life.
Didache 2.2.