Why Do Catholics ...?

What does the Catholic Church teach about an ectopic pregnancy?

The Church understands the Fifth Commandment as forbidding all direct attacks on innocent human life. No good end justifies the means of directly taking innocent human life, according to Colin Donovan, EWTN vice president of theology. The question, therefore, as to whether a particular medical procedure is morally lawful depends on 1) the nature of the medical issue, 2) the proposed therapy and 3) whether the therapy directly attacks the life of the innocent in order to bring about health or some other good end. If it does so, as it does in abortion, it is gravely immoral.

On the other hand, if a therapy treats or excises diseased tissue, and an indirect consequence of doing so is the unwanted death of a human being, this can be tolerated under the moral principle of double effect. As there are different degrees of extra-uterine pregnancies and several possible methods of treatment, the lawfulness will depend upon the particular circumstances and method.

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