>Rabbi Dr Fishel Szlajen cited traditional Jewish law
>Rabbi Dr Fishel Szlajen, who sits on the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life, has said scripture justifies abortion in certain rare cases.
>In a largely pro-life article posted on Spanish-language site InfoBae, Dr Szlajen condemns abortion on demand, describing it as a crime that has been turned into a right. “‘The right to decide what to do with one’s own body’” manipulates and intentionally obscures the fact that we are dealing with “two distinct humans” he said.
>However, he goes on to say that there is a case where scripture justifies killing the “conceptus” (the embryo in utero).
>“In only one case does the Bible call for abortion: when the life of the conceptus inexorably threatens that of its mother,” he said. In such cases, the life of the mother takes priority.
>Dr Szlajen justifies this position by citing the Jewish law of the “rodef”, which allows people in certain circumstances to kill someone who is endangering the lives of others.
>Cases of anencephaly, irreversible degenerative pathologies and terminal disease where the “conceptus” will certainly die are examples of ‘tzorech gadol’ (grave necessity) where “abortion is permitted with severe restrictions”.
>The same goes for a woman who has become pregnant through rape, and for whom continuing the pregnancy would result in “serious psychophysical danger”.
>Jewish scholars have debated the “rodef” law for centuries. Some have used it to justify killing politicians or even voters they see as endangering the Jewish people. The most notorious example in recent years was Yigal Amir, who assassinated former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin due to concessions made to the Palestinian Authority in the Oslo Accord.
>Others dispute this interpretation of the law, saying it only applies when the threat to life is imminent and when the threat is spontaneous.
>Dr Szlajen is not the only member of the academy to back abortion in certain circumstances.
>Before he was appointed, Professor Nigel Biggar said abortion was permissible before 18 weeks, adding: “It’s not clear that a human foetus is the same kind of thing as an adult.”
>Another member of the academy, Rabbi Avraham Steinberg said the unborn child has “no human status” before 40 days. After 40 days, it has “a certain status of a human being, not full status”.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/02/12/member-of-vatican-pro-life-academy-says-bible-justifies-abortion-in-cases-of-rape-and-disability/