France is now the first country in the world to make abortion a constitutional right.
The French Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill to confirm access to abortion up to 14 weeks in the country.
Days prior to the vote, the French Bishops' Conference issued a statement, expressing their concern:
With those considering abortion in mind, especially women in distress, the CEF reiterates that abortion, which remains an attack on life from the very beginning, cannot be seen solely from the angle of women's rights. We regret that the debate did not address the issue of support for those who wish to keep their child.
In their own statement, the Pontifical Academy for Life expressed their support for the French Bishops' Conference. It reads:
The Pontifical Academy for Life reiterates that precisely in the age of universal human rights, there can be no “right” to suppress a human life.
The Academy also made an appeal to all governments and religious organizations to protect life as “an absolute priority.”
Women have had the legal right to abortion in France since 1974 and in 2022, the legal limit for abortions was extended from 12 to 14 weeks.
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