My mother was advised to abort me, says Cardinal Burke in new book

[_Abyssinia]

The cardinal said the devil tries to sow doubt in Catholics’ minds about defending human life publicly

Cardinal Raymond Burke has revealed that his mother was advised to abort him.

In a new book-length interview with the French journalist Guillaume d’Alançon, Cardinal Burke says that when his mother was pregnant with him, she became seriously ill and a doctor advised her to have an abortion.

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/07/25/my-mother-was-advised-to-abort-me-says-cardinal-burke-in-new-book/

 

[ClearWater]

Wow!

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

I’m glad she didn’t abort him. He’s been very good for the Church.

 

[MacBP]

I imagine that if a pregnant woman is seriously ill, as his mother was, a doctor would feel obligated to mention this choice to the mother…especially if the mother’s life is at risk.

If the doctor does not, and the mother dies, there may be families who would have wished they had known.
Today it would most likely be grounds for a lawsuit.

.

The story, at least as Cardinal Burke relates it, would suggest that his mother’s doctor went beyond proposing a termination of pregnancy as once choice among many; rather, it seems that physician was trying to influence their patient towards having an abortion. That’s especially true given the the power differential between a patient and a doctor; doctors have a tremendous power to sway their patients into making decisions they might otherwise not want owing to that differential.

 

[_Abyssinia]

I imagine that if a pregnant woman is seriously ill, as his mother was, a doctor would feel obligated to mention this choice to the mother…especially if the mother’s life is at risk.

If the doctor does not, and the mother dies, there may be families who would have wished they had known.
Today it would most likely be grounds for a lawsuit.

.

If a woman is ill and is pregnant, the doctor should be advising her on what can be done to
help the situation, if investigation needs to be had in the way of testing, surgery etc. The doctor should never present the choice of abortion, and why should he or she? If a woman needs to be treated, and it’s decided that the treatment can not wait until the baby is delivered, then the best safety methods should be sought and if the treatment goes ahead and the baby dies as a result, that is absolutely tragic, but an abortion should never be sought or advised as a potential option.

 

[Randolph]

If a woman is ill and is pregnant, the doctor should be advising her on what can be done to
help the situation, if investigation needs to be had in the way of testing, surgery etc. The doctor should never present the choice of abortion, and why should he or she? If a woman needs to be treated, and it’s decided that the treatment can not wait until the baby is delivered, then the best safety methods should be sought and if the treatment goes ahead and the baby dies as a result, that is absolutely tragic, but an abortion should never be sought or advised as a potential option.

Well said… Thank you…

 

[Oneofthewomen]

I don’t know, this whole story is a little suspect to me.
The Cardinal was born in1948, abortion was not something that was talked about freely at that time, and in most places, it was illegal. A doctor could not only lose their medical license, they could go to jail. Seems like a very big risk to take.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I don’t know, this whole story is a little suspect to me.
The Cardinal was born in1948, abortion was not something that was talked about freely at that time, and in most places, it was illegal. A doctor could not only lose their medical license, they could go to jail. Seems like a very big risk to take.

You do realise that Roe V. Wade didn’t legalise abortion, right? Abortion was already legal in many places in the United States, and even if it were illegal, it was in fact still done. I highly doubt Cardinal Burke would lie about this. Why would he? He’s well liked for his honesty and bluntness. By the way, Frank Sinatra was born way before Burke was and his mother provided abortions. (Frank Sinatra died, if I recall correctly, being very against abortion)

 

[Oneofthewomen]

You do realise that Roe V. Wade didn’t legalise abortion, right? Abortion was already legal in many places in the United States, and even if it were illegal, it was in fact still done. I highly doubt Cardinal Burke would lie about this. Why would he? He’s well liked for his honesty and bluntness. By the way, Frank Sinatra was born way before Burke was and his mother provided abortions. (Frank Sinatra died, if I recall correctly, being very against abortion)

I know all of this, and also that abortion has been around since ancient times.
It is also something, that until about 40 years ago was not talked about in “polite society”.
I am not saying the Cardinal is lying, but I think there could be some hyperbole here.
And, as someone who is known for his staunch pro-life position, I’d think this is something that he would have talked about before.

I don’t know, maybe I am just getting too cynical with the media.

 

[jeannetherese]

From the article:
The cardinal said the devil tries to sow doubt in Catholics’ minds about defending human life publicly:

In a new book-length interview with the French journalist Guillaume d’Alançon, Cardinal Burke says that when his mother was pregnant with him, she became seriously ill and a doctor advised her to have an abortion.

According to Cardinal Burke, the doctor said: “You already have five children, it is important for you to be in good health so as to take care of them”.

“My parents refused,” says the cardinal, who is now chaplain to the Order of Malta. “My parents told him that they believed in God and that Christ would give them the necessary help. My mother gave birth to me, and everything went well.

His Book is entitles Hope for the World.
The article is linked below:
ww.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/07/25/my-mother-was-advised-to-abort-me-says-cardinal-burke-in-new-book/
May God bless all who are pressured to have abortions and their preborn children.
Amen.

 

[estesbob]

I don’t know, this whole story is a little suspect to me.
The Cardinal was born in1948, abortion was not something that was talked about freely at that time, and in most places, it was illegal. A doctor could not only lose their medical license, they could go to jail. Seems like a very big risk to take.

My mother was born in 1926 and Imy grandmothers doctor recommended she terminate the pregnancy because he was afraid grandma wouldn’t live through it . Abortion to save the life of the mother legal in many states