Durham E-Theses Abortion, reproductive technology, and euthanasia:: Post-concolliar responses from within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales 1965-2000 Wilson, John How to cite: Wilson, John (2003) Abortion, reproductive technology, and euthanasia:: Post-concolliar responses from within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales 1965-2000, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3076/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ABOlR'fliON, lREJ?RODIJC'fliVE TECHNOLOGY, AND lEIJTHANA§liA: JPOST-CONCJIJL][AR RESPONSE§ FROM WITHJIN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHIJJRCH IN ENGLAND AND WALE§ 1965-2000 JOHN WliLSON THESIS SIJBMITTED JFO:R THE DEGREE OJF DOCTOR OJF PHILOSOPHY A cojpyrigM of this thesis rests wW!t tftne EQJ11ftnor. No qJQllotation fmm it shoQJI~d lbe jpQJIJblisftned wnthoQllt finis prior written consenlt alllldl information derived from it should! lbe acllrnowledlgedl. THE UNIVERSITY OJF DURHAM DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY 2003 2 8 APR 200~ CONTENTS Abstract ......................................................................................... .... 7 Acknowledgements ................................................................................ 8 Statement of Copyright. ..........................................................................9 Bibliographical Note ............................................................................. .9 Abbreviations .................................................................................... 10 Introduction ...................................................................................... 12 1. Rationale .................................................................................... 12 2. The Roman Catholic Church ............................................................ 13 3. The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales ................................. 14 4. The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales 1965-2000 .................... 17 5. Abortion, Reproductive Technology, and Euthanasia ................................20 6. Investigation and Assessment. ...........................................................21 Chapter One - Establishing the Historical Context ...................................... .22 1. Introduction ................................................................................. 22 2. Moral Theology's Origins ................................................................ 22 2.1 Shape and Definition within Moral Reflection .................................... 23 2.2 The Emergence ofManualism ...................................................... .24 3. An English Manualist: Henry Davis SJ (1866-1952) .................................26 3.1 Abortion, Reproductive Technology, and Euthanasia According to Davis .... 28 3.1.1 General Orientation ............................................................ .28 3.1.2 Commandment Morality .......................................................29 3 .1.3 Abortion According to Davis ................................................. .31 3 .1.4 Euthanasia According to Davis ............................................... .3 2 3.1.5 Artificial Reproduction According to Davis .................................32 4. Morality Beyond the Manuals: Responses of the Pre-Conciliar Catholic Church in England and Wales to Abortion, Reproductive Technology, and Euthanasia.. 36 4.1 General Themes ....................................................................... .36 4.2 Pre-Conciliar Catholic Responses to Abortion ................................... .40 4.3 Pre-Conciliar Catholic Responses to Reproductive Technology ............... .43 4.4 Pre-Conciliar Catholic Responses to Euthanasia ................................. .46 5. Assessing the Pre-Conciliar Situation .................................................. .47 6. Transition and Development: The Church After Vatican II. ....................... .4 7 6.1 The Significance of the Birth Control Controversy .............................. .48 6.2 A Different Church ................................................................... .49 6.3 A Changing Culture ................................................................... 50 6.4 The Nature of Statements on Morality ............................................. 53 6.5 Approaches Towards Moral Methodology ......................................... 57 6.6 The Reception of Magisterial Teaching ............................................ 58 7. Post-Conciliar Responses to Abortion, Reproductive Technology, and Euthanasia ............................................................................. 60 Chapter Two - Abortion: Post-Conciliar Responses from within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales 1965-2000 ....................................... 61 1. Introduction ................................................................................. 61 2. Catholic Responses to Abortion 1965-1969: The Church and the 1967 Abortion Act. .......................................................................................... 62 2.1 The Move Towards Abortion Legislation .......................................... 62 2.2 Catholic Reaction to the Abortion Act. ............................................. 66 3. Catholic Responses to Abortion 1970-1979 ........................................... 68 3.1 Direction from the Hierarchy ......................................................... 68 3.2 Abortion and the 1970 Bishops' Statement on Morality ......................... 70 3.3 Initial Practical Pastoral Alternatives to Abortion ................................. 70 3.4 The Lane Committee and Report .................................................... 73 3 .4.1 Evidence to the Lane Inquiry from the Bishops' Conference Committee ......................................................... 73 3.4.2 Catholic Reaction to the Lane Report ......................................... 74 3.5 Continuing the Parliamentary Struggle Against Abortion ........................ 77 3.5.1 Catholic Submissions to the 1975 Select Committee on Abortion ....... 79 3.5.2 The Submission ofthe Bishops' Conference Social Welfare Commission ................................................... 79 3.5.3 The Submission of the Guild of Catholic Doctors .......................... 80 3.5.4 The Submission of the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council. ............ 81 3.5.5 The National Board of Catholic Women .................................... 83 2 3.6 Approaches Following the 1975 Select Committee .............................. 84 4. Catholic Responses to Abortion 1980-1989 ........................................... 87 4.1 The 1980 Bishops' Statement on Abortion ......................................... 87 4.2 The Challenge of Pharmaceutical Abortion ........................................ 91 4.3 The Catholic Church and the Alton Bill ............................................ 93 4.4 Directives on Prenatal Testing ....................................................... 95 4.5 Guidance on Imperfect Legislation .................................................. 96 5. Catholic Responses to Abortion 1990-2000 ........................................... 97 5.1 The 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill .............................. 97 5.2 The Pervasive Influence of Abortion ................................................ 99 5.3 The Catholic Church and RU486 ................................................... 100 5.4 Catholicism, the Labour Party, and Abortion Policy ............................ 102 5.5 The Abortion Act: Twenty-five Years Later ..................................... .103 5.6 Pro-Life Aggression .................................................................. 104 5.7 The Use of Fetal Tissue .............................................................. 104 5.8 Vaccination and Compliance with Abortion ...................................... 105 5.9 Abortion and the Channel Islands .................................................. 108 5.10 The Common Good and Abortion in Politics .................................... 108 5.11 A Further Practical Strategy on Abortion ........................................ 110 5.12 More Election Advice ............................................................. .112 5.13 Easier Abortion ..................................................................... 113 5.14 The Abortion Act: Thirty Years On .............................................. 113 5.15 Abortion and Justice ................................................................ 115 5.16 Abortion and the Family ........................................................... 116 6. Reviewing Post-Conciliar Catholic Responses to Abortion ......................... 119 Chapter Three - Reproductive Technology: Post-Conciliar Responses from within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales