facebook
rss
twitter
  • About
    • Contact
    • Elementary & Secondary Education Department
    • Social Concerns Department
  • Legislative Review
  • Issues
    • Catholic Education
    • Faith and Politics
    • Health Care
    • Life and Dignity
    • Marriage and Family
    • Religious Liberty
    • Social Justice
  • Bishops’ Statements
    • En Español
  • Resources
    • Bulletin Inserts
    • Church Documents
    • PA Catholic Statistics
    • Related Sites
    • Send A Letter to The Editor
  • Subscribe
    • RSS Feeds
    • Via E-mail
  • Contact
  • Podcast

Abortion Statistics Released – Where’s the Outrage?

January 05, 2012
by Hill
2010 Pennsylvania abortion report, abortion, abortion statistics, Gosnell, Kermit Gosnell, SB 732
Comments are off

About a year ago, when news was released about the Philadelphia abortion clinic of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, words like “house of horrors”, “shocking”, “murder”, and “intentional killing of babies” graced the headlines. The stories told of charges filed against Gosnell and others stemming from the death of one woman and the murder of seven newborn infants in his clinic.

In response, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Senate Bill 732, which holds abortion facilities to the same fire and safety standards, personnel and equipment requirements, and quality assurance procedures as other freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities. Governor Tom Corbett signed the bill into law before Christmas.

Senate Bill 732 does not put an end to abortion, but it does correct a situation that allowed Pennsylvania law to favor the abortion industry, not women’s health.

Sometimes the debate about abortion seems to overlook the very real women and children who are affected by it. Talk in the public square tends to reduce the issue to political ideology. The news about the Gosnell clinic shined a spotlight on the reality of abortion. The debate about SB 732 provided an opportunity to speak the truth and open people’s eyes about what goes on in abortion clinics every day. Abortion is not merely a routine medical procedure.

In the last week of 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Health released its annual report of abortion statistics: 36,778 abortions were performed in Pennsylvania in 2010, a 1.4 percent decrease from 2009.

Sadly, there were no headlines reporting this year-long tragedy. The deaths of these 36,778 children and the wounds left in the hearts of their mothers and fathers are no less important than those of the victims in Gosnell’s clinic. The Pennsylvania Department of Health, in releasing the 2010 abortion statistics, notified us of 36,778 lives will not be lived in our community, nor will their deaths be mourned publically. Within these statistics, we were also told of 36,778 women – and in some cases couples – in our community who are experiencing the pain and hurt that comes with deciding to abort. We must be filled with the compassion of Christ and pray for genuine healing and peace for these women and men.

Throughout the coming year, several other bills intended to provide additional protections for women and children will be considered in the state legislature. Keep up with the latest pro-life news and action alerts with the Pennsylvania Catholic Advocacy Network.

Senate Bill 732 is now Pennsylvania law; but the pro-life community has much more work to do. We cannot rest until the annual report of abortions in Pennsylvania is zero.

January 2012. A. B. Hill is Communications Director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference – the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania.

Social Share
  • google-share

News From Around PA

  • Catholic College Synodal Gathering at Neumann University
  • Photo Feature: 10th annual John Cardinal Foley Lecture
  • Oblates to return administration of Annunciation Parish to Diocese on June 30
  • Polish family murdered by Nazis along with Jews they sheltered recalled on Holocaust Remembrance Day; family’s martyrdom paves way for beatification
  • Full Time Office Administrator -- Catholic Parish Cemeteries Association, West End
  • SRCES Advancement Regional Coordinator , South Regional Catholic Elementary Schools
Click To Read More

Post Archives

Unable to load Tweets

Follow

Recent Posts

PCC Capitol Wrap for Monday, 1-30-23
Jan 30, 2023
PCC Capitol Wrap for Friday, 1-27-23
Jan 27, 2023
PCC Capitol Wrap for Thursday, 1-26-23
Jan 26, 2023

All Issues

  • Catholic Education
  • Faith and Politics
  • Health Care
  • Life and Dignity
  • Marriage and Family
  • Religious Liberty
  • Social Justice

banner

Sign up to join the Catholic Advocacy Network today!

CClogo© 2021 Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Bookmark and Share Site by Halibut Blue® | Login