A heavily Catholic Austrian state cannot find doctors to commit abortions in public hospitals.
The German Catholic website Kath.net reported that the Tyrol government “failed” in its attempt to find doctors willing to murder the unborn in the western Austrian state, which has more than 750,000 inhabitants. More than 60 percent of Tyrol residents are Catholic, according to a 2021 survey.
“Two doctors who would have been considered for the position have withdrawn their consent,” Kath.net reported.
“This means that all unborn children in public hospitals in the state of Tyrol remain protected from abortions,” so long as the abortions are not “medically indicated,” the outlet continued. Direct abortion is always gravely immoral and never needed nor ethically justifiable to save a mother’s life.
Kath.net noted:
One can only speculate about the reasons, but doctors see what the so-called ‘pregnancy tissue’ really is: a dead or dying child. In some cases they even have to actively kill a healthy, viable child by tearing (him or her) apart during suction or by giving a lethal injection to the heart. Many doctors classify this as a violation of the basic principles of medical ethics and the Hippocratic Oath.
Abortion is unpunishable in Austria in the first three months of pregnancy. It is also permitted when there would allegedly be a “danger” to the mother’s life or physical or mental health or a possibility that the child would be disabled.
A child’s disability status or circumstances of conception do not nullify his or her fundamental right to life or determine his or her worthiness not to be killed.
The Catholic Church condemns abortion as a grave sin in all circumstances and affirms the inviolable right to life of every child from conception.
“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches (2270).
“Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable,” it states (2271).