The abortifacient " RU 486

In view of the fact that some Italian politicians and others are endeavoring to introduce into Italy the French abortifacient pill "RU 486", the following editorial was published in the Italian edition of 'L'Osservatore Romano" on 12 November 1989.

The ultimate homage which error is accustomed to ply to truth, hypocrisy, has been paid. The mask can now be cast aside. When Italy approved the law permitting abortion, it was said that abortion was not to be regarded as a means of contraception, that the woman's free decision had to be in agreement with the public institutions, the guarantor of the right of third parties. Now the desire to introduce the RU 486 pill into Italy also reveals completely what lay behind those statements. It is desired to have recourse to abortion to an ever greater extent as a method of contraception (the most tragically effective method!), because conscience has been dulled to such a degree that the slaughter of the most defenseless innocents is regarded as an act of freedom... indeed the greatest act of freedom because by now their murder has become extremely easy.

Let it be quite clear, to avoid all misunderstanding, that whatever the method of abortion, the reality remains unchanged: it is murder in the true and proper sense of the word and cannot be justified by any human authority. Moreover, there is something dreadfully repugnant in this procedure. It humiliates science to the depths: it produces a drug whose one and only purpose is to kill the innocent. There is put on the market a true and real chemical bomb, available to whoever wants it, for the extermination of millions of innocents.

The motive alleged to justify and recommend recourse to the new lethal poison is the following: the risk of death or collateral complication for the mother who aborts becomes negligible.

Error is accustomed to don the mask of human pity to gain acceptance, From where does that risk come? From a supremely unjust and freely taken decision to kill the innocent. Let them have the courage to say it openly: at last a method of killing has been discovered in which the assassin no longer runs any serious risk.

By now it is evident that the culture (it we may call it that) which has produced the RU 486 pill has completely gone astray -The culture of those who hold that it is possible to be free while not obeying the truth. Truth, as always, speaks in very simple terms -- absolute respect is due to every human being, even and especially to the least. The one who does not see this truth because of selfishness loses the right to human citizenship.

Teachings of the Magisterium on Abortion