Catholics decry plans to hire abortionists at Rome hospital

A public hospital's decision to hire two doctors who are willing to perform abortions have caused an outcry from Catholics in Italy, where most doctors refuse to carry out the procedure.

Under Italy's "Law 194," which was introduced in 1978, abortion is allowed up to 12 weeks into pregnancy for medical and personal reasons, AFP reported. However, doctors in the public service may refuse to perform the procedure on grounds of "conscientious objection."

The issue sparked controversy after the San Camillo hospital in Rome advertised positions for two gynecologists, stipulating that those appointed should be willing to carry out abortions. Those who fail to conduct the procedure within the first six months of their appointment would put themselves at risk of being fired.

The Italian Catholic Bishops' Conference lamented that the advertisement constituted a denial of a doctor's right to conscientious objection.

"It's a distortion of the Law 194, whose goal wasn't to encourage abortion but to prevent it," said Father Carmine Arice, health director of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

Cardinal Camillo Ruini described the hospital's decision as "another demonstration of the tendency to challenge and block conscientious objection."

Lazio regional governor Nicola Zingaretti dismissed the complaints, saying "conscientious objection is 100 percent guaranteed" for the two hospital positions. He said that the advertisement did not exclude doctors who have objections to abortions, but "it does lay out clearly what role will be performed upon hiring and that will effectively be part of the contract."

Zingaretti also noted that under the 1978 law, certain authorized medical institutions are obliged to guarantee a woman's right to abortion.

"Conscientious objection is 100 per cent respected. In this case, we are ensuring the application of the law by offering these two places, two amongst more than 2,200 doctors who work in this sector. Remember, this service is tightly financed in order to provide pregnancy terminations," he said.

Prof. Alberto Gambino, president of the anti-abortion Science and Life Association, agreed with the position of the Italian bishops that the job proposal denied a "constitutional right" and was offensive to doctors' dignity. He said that there should be a "prolonged reflection" on why so many doctors refuse to perform abortions.

As many as 70 percent of Italian doctors nationwide have refused to carry out pregnancy terminations, but it reaches as high as 90 percent in southern regions such as Sicily and Molise, according to the Irish Times.