Abortion
The human being is a blessed with a unique gift - ‘“The divine image is present in every man … Endowed with ‘a spiritual and immortal’ soul ... From his conception, he is destined for eternal beatitude.”
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral tragedy that is abortion. “This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception…” God has willed that all human life is sacred and therefore we must do all we can to end abortion and help all those who have been affected by it.
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral tragedy that is abortion. “This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception…” God has willed that all human life is sacred and therefore we must do all we can to end abortion and help all those who have been affected by it.
Facts & Figures
Abortion is an induced fatally premature expulsion of a human embryo or fetus from the womb.
- 1 out of every 4 pregnancy ends in abortion in the United States.
- Nearly 1 in 3 women have had an abortion by the time they are 45.
- Nearly 4,000 children are aborted every day.
- Over 1 million abortions are performed in the U.S. every year.
- Since 1973, more than 58 million abortions have occurred in the U.S.
- The abortion rate in the U.S. is 19.4 per 1,000 U.S. women aged 15-44.
- Each year, about 2% of U.S. women aged 15–44 have an abortion; 47% of them have had at least one previous abortion.
- 50% of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25. Women aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and teenagers obtain 17%.
- Black women are 4.8 times as likely as non-Hispanic white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are 2.7 times as likely.
- 37.1% of all abortions are performed on black women who make up only 14% of the total population of U.S. women of child-bearing age.
- Approximately 50% of U.S. women who have an abortion are using a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant.
- In cases where prenatal testing helps diagnose cases of Down Syndrome in babies, about 90% of these babies are eliminated by abortion yearly.
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30,000 doctors agree; among them…
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"It's like saying football is only 0.005% of what the NFL does!"
Lila Rose interviews Dr. Anthony Levatino, OB/GYN and former abortionist...
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Dr. Anthony Levatino discusses most common abortion procedures (illustrations)...
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Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) -- A network of over 300 physicians worldwide to assist women.
Foundational Principles
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Staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by medical professionals.
1-877-558-0333 www.abortionpillreversal.com |
Educational Materials on Church Teaching
Respect Life Office Programs
40 Days for Life
March for Life Pilgrimage
Project Rachel
Spiritual Adoption
Respect Life 101
Abortion: Presentation / Facilitator Notes
Church Documents
USCCB: Abortion
USCCB: Partial-Birth Abortion
USCCB: RU-486
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Abortion
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Respect for Human Life
Evangelium Vitae: The Gospel of Life (EV)
Donum Vitae: The Gift of Life (DV)
Humanae Vitae (HV)
Leadership & Volunteer Opportunities
If you or your organization has expertise or an interest in the topic of abortion, or if you would like to learn how you can assist in the life-saving work of the Respect Life Office by becoming a resource for information on the Church's teaching on abortion, please contact us.
