Is Abortion Ever Allowed? | Catholic Teaching on Rape & Incest

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Is abortion ever permitted in cases of rape or incest? The Catholic Church has always taught that abortion—the direct and intentional killing of an innocent life—is gravely immoral. Pope St. John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae declared: “The deliberate killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral.” The Catechism confirms this unchangeable teaching. While cases of rape and incest are tragic, abortion can never be the answer. Medicine may treat the mother, and if the child cannot survive, this is not abortion but a natural loss of life. But directly killing the unborn is never justified. ✝️ Watch to learn the Church’s clear, compassionate teaching—and subscribe for more Catholic answers.