I have been trying to find the church's position on abortion when the life of the mother is in danger. ( Of course, "saving the mother's life" would have to be a legitimate life and death situation.) I have not been able to find a clear cut answer in my searches on that very specific and exclusive exception to the ban on abortion. My mother and I are both pro-life. She thinks that the church bans all abortions even those done to save the mother's life. It is my understanding that abortion is justifiable when the mother's life is in danger and only when the mother's life is in danger. Which one of us is correct? Thank you.

It is important to distinguish direct from indirect abortion. Direct abortion is never morally justifiable. Indirect abortion is the unintended but unavoidable death of a child in the womb as a result of some other legitimate surgery aimed at saving the mother's life. An example of indirect abortion would be the physician's removing the mother's fallopian tube in which the child is lodged (ectopic pregnancy). Removing the fallopian tube is essential to saving the mother's life. The child will die in the fallopian tube even if the tube is not removed, but so would the mother.

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