CMW-WB-CH13

Many today, despite the clear evidence that proves otherwise,
falsely believe that an unborn baby is nothing more than a soulless
clump of tissue, not yet a person and devoid of rights — even the right
to live. Some may concede that the unborn child is or may be a person,
but they believe that the mother’s right to bodily autonomy supersede
any rights the unborn child may possess. Ultimately, both of
these camps believe it is a private matter to be decided between a
woman and her doctor whether or not to kill her unborn baby. In 1973,
the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade determined that there is a
right to an abortion consistent with the Constitution and forced states
to allow first and second trimester abortion on demand throughout the
US. For nearly 50 years these false perspectives about the unborn child
were protected by an ill-conceived constitutional interpretation. In the
nearly half century since Roe v. Wade, almost 65 million abortions have
occurred, equal to more than a fifth of today’s US population. In June
2022, the Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson overturned Roe v.
Wade, ruling that the US Constitution did not, in fact, protect a right to
abortion. The immediate effect of this decision was to return the power
of determining the legality of abortion to individual states, as it was prior
to Roe v. Wade.
So, why has the Catholic Church steadfastly been against abortion,
not just in the last half century in the US, but from the very beginning
and throughout the world? What do we believe as Catholics, supported
by the latest in medical science, about the personhood of unborn
babies, when the human soul comes into existence, and what rights of
the unborn should be acknowledged? This chapter will examine each of
these questions.
Aa
VOCABULARY
Zygote: A single-celled
human being that comes to be
in the moment of fertilization.
The zygote contains a full,
unique human genome and
is biologically a completely
unique human being. It is the
very first stage of human
development, from which
all cells constituting a fully
developed human being
throughout his or her lifetime
will be produced.
The Humanity of the Zygote According to
Biological Criteria
The biological, embryological, and genetic evidence for the existence
of human nature and human personhood at the moment of conception
is significant. DNA sequencing shows conclusively that a full, unique,
human genome is present at the moment of fertilization. The union of
a sperm and ovum give rise to a new cell called a zygote, that did not
exist before, and which contains a new genetic code that belongs to a
completely new individual human being. 3
The single-celled zygote is far more than a mere cell. It is a self-moving,
self-perfecting, dynamic organism that is genetically, organically,
and metabolically distinct from its parent gametes, through which all
© Sophia Institute for Teachers Unit 5, Chapter 13: Abortion
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