Conscientious objection Archives

Chilean court: Private health facilities can’t be forced to do abortions

Dec 18, 2018

A Chilean court has ruled that private healthcare facilities may conscientiously object to abortions, declaring unconstitutional a law that had gone into effect in October.

By Catholic News Agency

Bishops say Thursday vote to legalize abortion ‘hurts us Argentines’

Jun 14, 2018

Argentina’s lower chamber on Thursday approved a bill that would legalize abortion until the ninth month of pregnancy under certain conditions, would allow a pregnant teenager over 16 to obtain an abortion without the knowledge of her parents, and would force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions.

By Inés San Martín

Head of Catholic physicians’ group warns of threats to conscientious objection

Feb 16, 2018

No physician should be forced to choose between violating his or her conscience and facing professional sanctions when defending human life, said the president of the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations.

By Cindy Wooden

Conscientious objection in assisted suicide cases under threat in Ontario

Aug 18, 2017

More than 630 people have killed themselves in Ontario under legal assisted suicide, but not at Catholic hospitals. In Ontario, the law requires hospitals, hospices and long-term care centers that will not take part in assisted suicide to transfer the patient to a facility that will.

By Kevin J. Jones

In Argentina’s religious freedom row, politics makes strange bedfellows

Jul 17, 2017

A debate in the pope’s native Argentina over a proposed religious freedom law offers a classic illustration of the maxim that “politics makes strange bedfellows,” with both deeply conservative Archbishop Héctor Rubén Aguer of La Plata and Amnesty International opposing it — Aguer because he thinks it would make other religions equal to Catholicism, Amnesty because they fear a loss of sexual freedom.

By Inés San Martín

In Catholic terms, anyway, US/Europe ties seem in good shape

Jun 4, 2017

At a time when political ties between the United States and Europe seem to be unraveling, exacerbated by Trump’s recent decision to abandon the Paris climate change agreement, there’s a case to be made that in Catholic terms, the “Atlantic alliance” is actually strong and getting stronger.

By John L. Allen Jr.