The Linacre Quarterly Volume 36 | Number 2 Article 11 May 1969 Abortion: Part XII - Japan Paul V. Harrington Follow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq Recommended Citation Harrington, Paul V. (1969) "Abortion: Part XII - Japan," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 36 : No. 2 , Article 11. Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol36/iss2/11 contrary to the Encyclical's teaching same time we can expect the .:onfessor • • has an invincibly erroneous conscience, to manifest his disapproval an give I would want to estimate the matter reasons for it and to make sur that at this level of magisterial authority nothing he says leaves the i a_ :ssion 10 , ,, especiaUy, and not only at the level of he is approving the certahJ· illicit :.) .... practice. Gradually through c ation philosophical argumentation. •' . in and outside of the sac nt of Abortion - - 1 art XII -- Japan This would mean that the penitent penance we may be able t •Jd the who in grave matter is lacking evaluative faithful to a full understandi >f their knowledge whether habitually or only obligation to abide by the E1 clical's actually in the concrete situation is teaching. At. Rev. Msgr. Pa u Harrington, P.A., J.C. l. according to traditional terminology •. acting without the sufficient reflection Pope Paul himself in the cyclical I • and therefore without the full consent compassionately recognizes e diff~:­ ' '· . of the will requisite for grave sin. cult practical problems of sciencc and of daily Hving faciJ lllrried deciding to liberalize existing years, to fifty million. Japan, victorious couples today. He even me• .IS that laws or to legalize abortion in wars with China and Russia, became ,.• ... THE PASTORAL ROLE OF " . to many the teach. of the it would be useful and a leading power in the world in the "· THE PRIEST Church will appear to be eve n poss~ to study what has been the early part of the present century and, . v clia~~ and the effect in countries and with this upgrading, came an increase One of the primary duties of the ble to observe . " {1 ,.. ... No. 20). Following the P s own that have had actual experience in population up to and beyond confessor is to achieve and manifest -: ,: . observation, it seems that 1e COO· liberal laws or easy abortion. seventy million. a Christlike, compassionate understand­ ; ' -:. - fessor may tolerate such a jL ing of the penitent and his problems of Between the First and Second World favor of the penitent's cont •ing use daily Christian living. One of the Wars, there was pressure put on the of contraceptives without pr nt sub­ primary duties of the priest-represent­ shall begin our investigation with national government to curb the popu­ jectively grave sin. Therefore though ative of Christ and His Church is to because this country has had lation increase but the conservatives, a couple accepts the teach g, they teach Catholic doctrine clearly and an unique and unusual experi­ who controUed the government and may sincerely judge it simp!,; mpossi­ without ambiguity. One of the primary legalized abortion for purposes who were primarily interested in be­ ractice. duties of the priest with regard to ble for them to observe in trolling population. coming a strong military power, refused Again the confessor cannot a .rove of Humanae Vitae is by word and exam­ to adopt any program of contracep­ the behavior and he must ex ain that the mid-nineteenth century, Japan, ple to educate the faithful to a proper tion. In fact, Margaret Sanger was not the reason he is giving abs. tion is of four islands, was basicaUy understanding and an acceptance of the even allowed to visit the country. Encyclical's teaching. All of these their sincere judgment of is 10ssible agricultural country with little or duties need to be and can be reconciled observance. industry and had approximately After being defeated in the Pacific with one another. million people. During this par- War of 1941-1945, Japan lost Man­ In both the above cases, l ~ "good period, there was only a limited churia, Korea and Formosa and, with Some national hierarchies have come faith" situation hopefully wi be only in population because of a the return of the soldiers and repatri­ out publicly in favor of at least a temporary, that is, until the ;l ucati~ infant mortality, artificial abortion ated citizens, there were eighty million "good faith" application to an in­ process can enlighten aU the· faithful a type of infanticide. However, people on the original four islands. vincibly erroneous conscience, when to abide by the teaching of ,;umaWJt a national program, geared This amounted to one half the popu­ couples after sincere prayerful study Vitae. If we do not put n strong •••r•rt. industrial and military growth, lation of the United States but it was and because of the present acute con­ emphasis on the duty to cad tbe education for all children crowded into one twenty-fifth of the troversy feel they cannot accept the faithful to an acceptance of the prohibiting infanticide and abor- area of the United States. Population Encyclical's teaching. It seems unreal, EncycHcal's teaching, the Bisl ops an~ the population increased, in fifty restriction was considered urgent. then, to argue that for a confessor to priests by their silence, if not by theu In 1948, the Diet passed the notori­ grant absolution to such a penitent, guidance, may lead the faj· hful to ous mother-protection law, entitled the determined in good faith to continue ignore the voice of the Vicar rJ •lllonsil!.nc)r Harrington is Vice- Eugenic Protection law, which allowed acting contrary to Humanae Vitae, Christ, and therefore to igrore tht for the Archdiocese of abortion even for economic reasons. would involve grave scandaL But at the word of Christ in today's work!. , ) 969 139 138 This law a.lso provided for voluntary abortion law that there wo lid be so to draw - and ·his would have It is evident that the liberal abortion . and, in some cases, compulsory many unregistered abortion ~. The an­ direct reaction on the economic program in Japan has taken a very ,. .. sterilization and the public sale of swer given is $at many doct 'rs do not and the social future 1f the serious toll on the health of aborted .. contraceptives. The Jaw was amended wish to pay taxes on the fee·· r~ :eived ; finally, the pOf Jlatior. would women. in 1952 in order to make abortion even for their abortions. Also, tl c uents and an ever incwasing , Jsp,tn - .. .. easier. Hardly any reason was required. wish to avoid the cost of c· r. Jlsory for the caring of an ever lar1 r As mentioned previously, there are a I great many unregistered abortions in ~ lt was stated that any woman could mortuary services. population, with all of the s ,... now have an abortion at will, if she did of tht: aged, would ~ Japan. Many of these are performed in ..... not desire to give birth. An abortion could be pr ed for upon an ever dwindling youn unauthorized clinics without any pre­ .. 3000 yen or about $8.30. vious appointment, without any regis­ In 1952, Doctor Koya, the Director tration of name or identity and for a of the Institute of Health, was dis­ The legal abortion rate in legalized abortion was estab price that is subject to bargaining by turbed by the large numbers of abor­ 1949 was 3 per 1000 pop \ under a eugenic law, the larger patient and practitioner. Abortions, : tions and the Cabinet considered abor­ this were to be transfen. of abortions are sought for performed under these conditions tion dangerous. Thus, a national United States and based up 1 popu· that have absolutely no re­ program of contraception was initiated. lation of 149,000,000 in •t9, Wt have been described as inhuman and with eugenics. Mt.st abor­ degrading. .. Now, 81 5 health centers have been would have had 447,000 al .ons. ln are requested for et...onomic established and there are over 50,000 196 1, in Japan the legal r vas II and personal reasons. ' The experience of Japan very clearly midwives, trained by the government , per I 000 population and, in . United proves that, no matter how liberal the .,. prepared to counsel the women. States with a population 0 1 3,000,· Japan, abortion is permitted up to abortion laws are and how many hos­ . .. 000 that year, there would e been eighth month of pregnancy. Wha t ..• ' In twenty years, the birth rate in pitals and clinics are established for the ~~ ·~· 2,0 13,000 abortions. been the effect of abortion on the purpose of performing abortions and .. Japan has dropped from 34.3 per 1000 of Japanese wo men? One sum­ ...... population to 17.5 per I 000 popula­ Statistics at the We lfare how well-trained and knowledgeable showed that twenty-six percent the medical and paramedical staff is, tion. There are about one hundred Japan indicate that ther women reported that their million people at present. Japan is now abortion for every two bir a large and ever-increasing number of had been adversely affected women will go to unauthorized places the fifth most dense country in the - a fifty percent loss of all !• another sixteen percent refusing world with 682 persons per square and put themselves at the mercy of After almost twenty year 1f legal· . Another surgey of 1. 71 2 mile. unskilled personnel operating in de­ ized abortion in Japan, somt ~ ry clear abortions demonstrated that slight plorably unhygienic conditions with In 1965, there were 1.8 million results and effects are :ervable, health complications resulted obvious detriment to their health and 1 babies born; this was the largest which relate to the popula n of the un: II..<:J>•vPn percent of all cases with life.