Aurore Bergé, France’s Minister Delegate for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination, argues (April 7) about our fractured world, where human beings are being trampled upon and killed due to war and discrimination.
In her article, Bergé alludes to the Declaration of Human Rights. She asserts: “Human rights are universal because they are at the very foundation of all humanity; they are the foundation of the equal human dignity of all men and women, everywhere in the world.”
She goes on to expand on women’s rights including “full and free control over their bodies”. Bergé boasts: “France is proud to be the first country to have enshrined the right to abortion in its constitution.”
One of the most fundamental rights that needs to be protected and safeguarded is the right to life. Here we are referring to the lives of all human beings without distinction, be they adults, children or unborn babies. It is ironic how, in the same article, the minister condemns war, terrorism and violence against humanity and then boasts about having abortion entrenched in France’s constitution.
Only a few days ago, on April 8, the Vatican issued a document entitled Dignitas Infinita (‘Infinite Dignity’) where it reaffirms and explains its stand on human dignity. This document was issued to commemorate the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which shall be celebrated later this year.
The document unequivocally condemns abortion stating that “the acceptance of abortion in the popular mind, in behaviour, and even in law itself, is a telling sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense”.
It goes on to assert that “among all the crimes that can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable”. The document affirms that “defence of unborn life is closely linked to the defence of each and every other human right”.
We need to remind France’s minister delegate that even we, Maltese, last year had changes in the law of abortion.
The changes were unanimously voted for by both the government and the opposition. These changes assured the mother-to-be that if her life was at immediate risk or her health was in grave jeopardy, which might lead to her death, it allowed doctors to carry out an abortion.
Debating the rights of the mother without taking into consideration the right of the unborn baby is a lopsided and subjective debate
So our abortion law safeguards the health and life of the mother without intentionally wanting the termination of pregnancy for selfish or ulterior reasons.
We Maltese are proud to have voted for such a law unanimously because the greater majority treasure all lives – both the one of the mother and the one of the unborn baby.
It was heartening to learn that Prime Minister Robert Abela, when commenting about whether the introduction of abortion in Malta should be decided through a referendum, as President Myriam Spiteri Debono suggested, reiterated that abortion is too important a topic to be decided by a majority or minority of votes. “On the one hand, you have the right of the unborn child, on the other those of the mothers-to-be. Let’s not politicise this subject for political gain,” Abela retorted.
Debating the rights of the mother without taking into consideration the right of the unborn baby is a lopsided and subjective debate. For organisations like the United Nations and the European Union to discuss and debate the rights of the mother without considering the rights of the unborn baby would be doing disservice to the human race.
On April 11, MEPs passed a non-binding resolution calling for access to abortion to be included in the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Ahead of the resolution, the Communion of the Bishops’ Conference of the European Union (COMECE) emphatically stated: “The promotion of women and their rights is not related to the promotion of abortion. We work for a Europe where women can live their maternity freely and as a gift for them and for society and where being a mother is in no way a limitation for personal, social and professional life. Promoting and facilitating abortion goes in the opposite direction to the real promotion of women and her rights.”
Before the vote to enshrine the right to abortion in the French constitution, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said: “We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you.” If the problem concerning abortion concerned simply the body of the mother, there wouldn’t be such an outcry. Here, we are also dealing with the dignity of women as mothers.
The mother, during pregnancy is carrying within her another person, made in the image and likeness of God, and it is because of this other person who has no voice that our voices become louder and stronger.
Let us, if need be, continue to debate this very sensitive and hot issue. But let us not put abortion and women’s rights in the same equation for, as the Communion of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union affirmed: “The promotion of women and their rights is not related to the promotion of abortion.”
Ray Azzopardi is a retired headmaster.