Catholic Answers Live #12189 What Does the Church Teach on Pregnancy Complications and Abortion? - Jimmy Akin
May 9, 2025
In this discussion, guest Jimmy Akin, a senior apologist and host of Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World, navigates the moral complexities surrounding pregnancy complications and the Church's teachings on abortion. He clarifies the principle of double effect, distinguishing permissible medical treatments from direct abortion, which is deemed morally unacceptable. With sensitivity, Akin debunks common myths and emphasizes compassion in these challenging situations, providing a thoughtful perspective on the intersection of faith and healthcare.
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Church Teaches Against Direct Abortion
- The Church forbids direct abortion even to save the mother or another fetus.
- Treatments that unintentionally risk fetal death as a side effect can be morally permissible.
Church's View on Ensoulment
- The Church has no official doctrine on the exact moment ensoulment occurs.
- The common theological view is ensoulment happens at conception, but genetic abnormalities don't exclude a human soul.
No Attachment to Sin Explained
- To gain a plenary indulgence, one must have no attachment to any sin, even venial sin.
- This mainly means detaching the will from sin, as affections can still be weakly attached.
