Does the Catholic Church know when a human life begins, or are theologians still debating?

Question

On the August 24 telecast of “Meet the Press,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked to comment on when life begins. Here is what she said: “I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition.”

When Tom Brokaw told her that the Catholic Church “feels very strongly” that life begins at conception, Pelosi said, “I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the Church, this is an issue of controversy.”

Is when life begins a controversy in the Catholic Church? And is opposition to abortion something recent?

Answer 1

Yes, at conception,as science confirms

No, it is only controversial for post-Catholics

Christianity opposed abortion from the beginning- see the Didache

One cannot be a Catholic or any real supporter of Incarnational Christianity and support abortion

Answer 2

She is not a spokesperson for the Church and the Church is very clear life begins at Conception!.

Answer 3

Conception

Glad your taking the chance to ask this again. My question was reported and deleted.

Pelosi needs to read "Catholicism for Dummys".

Answer 4

There is no longer any question. Life begins at the moment of conception.

There was various theological ideas, sure, but the Church is firm in the stance that life begins at the moment of conception... that means that at the moment of conception the embryo has an eternal soul, it is an individual, a person, known and loved by God. This is official Church teaching.

There might be some theologians who feel differently, but they are not an authority in the Church, and theirs is a personal opinion, not an opinion held by the Church.  

Answer 5

Considering the church's track record I'm going to let doctors and biologists decide when life starts.  

Answer 6

>>"And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition.”<<

This is true, but she is being deceitful because what she is NOT telling you is that the Church teaches faith and morals, not science. When the life of an individual human being begins is a matter for science, and science says it begins at fertilization:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcg...

It's like leading people to believe that 2+2 does not equal 4 because your poetry teacher never taught that.

Answer 7

The early Catholic church didn't know the earth wasn't flat. I don't think they know much about when human life begins either.

The abortion issue is something recent, and more political than theological.

Answer 8

Life begins at conception.  When is conception?  It is not at the instant of the sexual act.  It takes time for the egg to become ferterilized.  It could be hours after the sexual act.  

Answer 9

2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured 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: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.



2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae," "by the very commission of the offense," and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

2322 From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.

2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."

Answer 10

Like Meg M said, it is a science question.  The church teaches murdering innocent life is wrong, science teaches when it is life.

Speaker Pelosi is basically regurgitating the propaganda from the Catholics for Choice organization.

Bumble Bear, you are greatly underestimating the scope of the Catholic church.  There are a great many Catholics throughout the world, and when scientific questions need to be answered, the church does gather eminent scientists to discuss the issue, or have the Vatican scientist in the respective discipline go over the research and ascertain the answer.

Answer 11

I think that anyone making these kinds of statements is discrediting him/herself completely as a Catholic.

Life- of the souls- begins at conception hence the opposition to abortion.

I would assume that if contraception was forbidden by ALL Christian Churches until 1930 when the Anglicans decided to make exceptions in few, isolate cases, the same would go for abortion.

I would say however, that until people change their contraceptive mentality, they will never understand the true evil of abortion.

Answer 12

It certainly sounds like she has placed herself outside the knigdom and is no longer catholic.  Sounds like all that is needed is a bishops pronouncement.  Why has she not been excommunicated, wait you know I'm not her bishops, I'm just I guy.

I now that catholic doctrine is clear that life begins at conception and that there is no such thing as dissent from catholic doctrine within the church.

Answer 13

If you would like more answers, consider asking around this site as well...

http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay....

Answer 14

Nancy Pelosi is trying to justify her pro-abortion position.  She's wrong and she needs to go to Confession.

God bless.

Answer 15

If human life begins at conception, then god is the world's most prolific abortionist.

Answer 16

No, the Catholic Church states that life begins at conception. Don't listen to Pelosi what GOOD Catholic would say pro-choice, plus she doesn't even know what Holy Communion is, she thinks it is "Communion is the body of the people of the church coming together." No pelosi, Holy Communion is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of God. So, don't listen to pelosi. And the Doctors of the Church do state life begins at conception, and that abortion is murder, it is the second website in my source.  

Answer 17

Biologically and religiously, your life began at conception.

That is the precise moment when you got your UNIQUE DNA.

A totally different concept with legally becoming a citizen, which of course is at birth.

The confusion derives from a legal convention: when an embrio becomes legally a person?

Answer 18

The Church DOES indeed know...thanks to modern science and all the most recent neo-natal, gynecological, and biological evidence.

Even if you are not a Catholic, which, by the way, is not necessary to know when human life begins, you can have a completely objective view of when human life begins.  

http://www.prolifephysicians.org/lifebeg...

This is a purely scientific explanation of life and what constitutes life.  

bjr

Answer 19

She's very wrong.

The Catholic stance has "never" been an issue of controversy. The idea of Not having children is Not a concept approved by any means or method. There is the exception of abstinence. Furthermore, any sin against a child is considered a Grave matter.

In the past (history) of the Church; They have established orphanages, homes for unwed mothers, adoptions... offering alternatives to such crimes against children. All of these options offered prior to DNA knowledge.

Abortion has always been a huge No No. She must of missed her elementary CCD classes. As I recall, the  subject is introduced when we reach the 6th grade level. We held a 2 hour class accompanied by a movie showing the fertilization of an egg (the point of conception).

Peace be with You.

Answer 20

Conception and Pelosi is bordering on excommunication.

http://www.catholic.org/international/in...

Answer 21

Technically this is true.  St. Thomas Aquinas for example, did not think that the rational immaterial soul entered the body until the age of reason.  The vast majority of theologians since then, disagree with that idea.  Keep in mind that St. Thomas was one of the greatest and most influential minds in the Church, but on this matter She (the Church) disagrees sharply with him.  Just goes to show you that the Church's mission is to make clear the Truth of Christ, and to proclaim the Truth that Christ promised to give through the Holy Spirit, not to cater to any particular theologian per se.  

The Church teaches that there is good reason and evidence to suppose that human life begins at conception.  In other words, the biological creation of a completely unique genetic individual greatly supports that conception is the moment the soul and body become a single entity.  This is mere biology.  However, even if there is doubt about that matter, the church decrees that one should always err on the side of life even if we do not know the exact moment the soul and body become one,  lest we commit atrocities against life such as abortion.

Seems as though Ms. Pelosi is definitely playing with words and skirting around issues.  An unfortunate happening in politics.