Cynthia Busuttil
Constitutional amendment 'a fortress' against abortion
Fr Denis Wilde. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
American anti-abortion priest Denis Wilde believes Malta should protect its pro-life stance by establishing this firmly in the Constitution.
Fr Wilde, from the pro-life organisation Priests For Life that preaches against abortion and euthanasia, was recently in Malta and said the island should introduce safeguards to avoid the legalisation of abortion.
"You should put your fortresses up to avoid the invasion," he said, drawing parallels between the fortresses that surrounded the island and the Constitutional amendment, which has long been called for by local pro-life group Gift Of Life.
Referring to the 1973 Supreme Court judgment which legalised abortion in the US, Fr Wilde said this made it even more important for Maltese not to be complacent and introduce safeguards.
"Right now it looks like abortion will never be legalised in Malta. But a court decision could change everything," he said, adding that, while courts could bring about changes in the law, the Constitution was much harder to change.
Around four years ago, Gift Of Life started campaigning for a constitutional amendment that would make the introduction of abortion in Malta more difficult.
Fr Wilde said he believed the amendment should state that every human was a person and should be protected from conception.
He sees the amendment as imperative to prevent the EU from pressurising Malta into introducing abortion.
A protocol on abortion was annexed to Malta's Accession Treaty, giving legal certainty that EU law, present or future, could not change Maltese law on abortion.
Fr Wilde said that, since the 1973 US ruling, a staggering 50 million "babies" had been aborted. "In the US, a baby dies from abortion every 23 seconds.
That is 4,000 deaths every day, 1.3 million per year and 50 million in the last 36 years," he said. Fr Wilde said that in cases where the mother's life was in danger if she carried on with the pregnancy, "removing the problematic organ" was acceptable.
"The Church does not look at this as abortion because the doctors are not willingly aborting the baby but rather trying to save the mother's life.
"They are removing the problematic organ, which might contain the embryo, so as to save her life," he argued.
He continued that there was a lack of education about the repercussions of abortion on women, which included sleeping disorders, eating disorders, compulsive crying, rage, anger, depression, suicidal tendencies, shame, guilt and estrangement from children.
Questioned about contraception, Fr Wilde said this had not prevented abortion but rather increased the numbers. "The most effective of all birth control is natural family planning. It also helps the couple's relationship. Those couples who use contraception are more prone to divorce," he said.
Fr Wilde was here to deliver talks in a number of schools and in churches.
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18 Comments
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Joe Zammit
Apr 13th 2009, 19:28
It is a wrong argument saying that, notwithstanding the law prohibiting abortion, one can resort to it somehow just the same. On that reasoning we can eliminate the whole of our criminal law because anyone can break any of these laws when he wants. We can eliminate the crime of homicide, for instance, because anyone can kill some one else if he wants. This is wrong reasoning. We must see the law in itself. What we are now asking is the entrenchment of the prohibition of the crime of abortion. As it stands a simple majority in parliament can change the law. If entrenched, the change would need two thirds majority.
Joe Zammit
Apr 11th 2009, 17:14
Par. 2272 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church runs: "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offence. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae, by the very commission of the offence, and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. THE CHURCH DOES NOT THEREBY INTEND TO RESTRICT THE SCOPE OF MERCY. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society".
Joe Zammit
Apr 11th 2009, 16:59
We must not confuse excommunication with forgiveness. Excommunication comes ipso facto with the sin with which it is connected. Excommunication does not exclude forgiveness. But God forgives our sins if we repent and are seriously sorry for them. Excommunication is forgiven as well by the Church. If one is truly sorry for one's sins, one confesses and receives forgiveness. Those who love Christ think the way his one Catholic Church thinks!
Gerry Cowie
Apr 11th 2009, 14:18
@Joe Zammit - thankyou for quoting verbatim from the Catechism. I take it that you do not therefore accept the forgiveness offered by Christ to all who have sinned and repent! Since this has been the focus of the entire period leading up to Easter - repentance and forgiveness - are you standing above all the church teaches and stating that those people are damned for all eternity? There is nothing, we are told, that God cannot forgive, if people are prepared to repent.
I thoroughly agree with you as to the value of human life from conception to natural death.
Remember that St Paul himself presided over killings, persecuting Christians and yet he underwent a conversion and changed his ways.
Please think before you speak! You don't want to get labelled as a fundementalist!
Joe Zammit
Apr 11th 2009, 11:34
Par. 2322 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church reads: "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the CANONICAL PENALTY OF EXCOMMUNICATION FOR THIS CRIME AGAINST HUMAN LIFE."
Gerry Cowie
Apr 9th 2009, 19:44
@ George Caruana - abortion is personal also as it affects an unborn child. The tragic consequences of abortion would not exist if abortion did not happen.
@Margaret Richards - in what way is this man interfering in Maltese politics? He is upholding human life and that is not a local but a world issue. He can still speak from his own country!
@David Gatt - living in modern times does not make abortion right. The 21st century is no excuse to cheapen the value of human life.
@K Pullicino - ditto your comments! The spindoctors would make abortion a women's only issue, since they treat an unborn human being as just an extension of the woman. Male and female exist and it takes both to produce children, but they would rather we did not know that and that we try to be modern!
@Joe Zammit - whilst I do not question your beliefs, and agree in the value of human life from conception to natural death, do remember that God also forgives. So it is not for you to say that who is excommunicated. I think you should tone things down just a little!
Joe Zammit
Apr 9th 2009, 13:47
Experience abroad demonstrates that a pregnant woman who is informed, supported and given different alternatives to abortion decides to go ahead with the pregnancy. No one has regretted having had the child.
Joe Zammit
Apr 9th 2009, 13:46
From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a criminal practice, gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.
George Caruana
Apr 8th 2009, 17:53
I fail to understand what difference would it make, since the law is already clear, unless we want to use THE LAW to convey a stand instead of using it as a means to an end. And it is naive to think that any legal restrictions on abortion will reduce terminations. It is so personal and private that nobody can control. It can only be controlled and regulated in an environment where abortion is allowed, notwithstanding the tragic consequence of terminating a pregnancy.
Margaret Richards
Apr 8th 2009, 16:17
Priest Denis Wilde should stay put in USA and not interfere in what we Maltese want to do in our constitution as much as we do not interfere with other countries with their constitution and legislation. Maltese tend to grumble so much against other institutions or countries because of their interference, I hope the same stand will be taken with foreign interference. Why doesn't this priest stay put in USA, he have enough problems to deal with over there without interfering in our Constitution.
Randolph Peresso
Apr 8th 2009, 15:58
THERE'S NO RIGHT TO KILL, BUT ONLY TO LIVE.
David Gatt
Apr 8th 2009, 13:20
I don't understand the logic of writing anti-abortionism into the constitution. For as long as the Maltese society wants to impose travelling abroad to terminate pregnanices, then it shall remain illegal to perform the procedure in Malta. When society moves on, and becomes more liberal, then surely the people should have the possibility to change the law easily? We all know that changing the constitution is not as simple as a 2/3 majority don't we, and that's exactly why the anti crowd want it entrenched, as they know that once there it would be pretty close to impossible tpo remove, irrespective of the population's wishes.
Recent history has shown that as a society becomes richer, it also becomes more liberal. I give it another 10 years max in Malta before we join the 21st Cent. Can't wait!
K. Pullicino
Apr 8th 2009, 13:08
It's 13:05 in the afternoon. Let's see how long it will take for some obviously non-discriminating liberal to come along saying how men shouldn't have any opinions on abortion as if a male child cannot be born from the embryo.
Joe Zammit
Apr 8th 2009, 12:59
The constitutional amendment strengthening our national position against abortion is the right step in the right direction. Those MPs who are against abortion should come to fhe forefront and press forward for this wise amendment. Life is sacred from conception to natural death. If we introduce this idea in the Constitution in the section dealing with the right to life, we would be building a fortress against abortion. This section is already entrenched.
Robert Callus
Apr 8th 2009, 12:56
Not again. Read the last sentences. This priest is echoing the pope's venegance towards contraceptio, 'this has not prevented abortion but rather increased the numbers'!!!
How in any way could conracetion increase the number of abortions? And may I ask, why is the church waging this war on contraception?
I understand opposing abortion, I do actually (cause I believe in life, nothing to do with Catholic dogmas from my side). But contraception? THis is inbeleivable
Joe Zammit
Apr 8th 2009, 12:53
Abortion is murder and it cannot be performed either as a means or as an end. Par. 2322 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read: "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice, gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.
Vince Borg
Apr 8th 2009, 11:27
@ Mario Tabone-Vassallo
Habib, int kollox idejjqek?
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
Apr 8th 2009, 10:54
Nebbhuh li hawn mhux Talibani izda fil-kotra Kattolici konvinti. Nitqazzu u nitmezmzu mill-abort izda ma nemmnux li minoranza ghandha qatt timponi fuq il-maggoranza. Flok kukkanja nduru mad-dinja fuq taparsi missjoni, ahjar immorru l-missjoni tassew jekk irridu naghtu xhieda Pawlina