Gibraltar Bishop wades into morning after pill debate, describing drug as ‘morally wrong’

The Bishop of Gibraltar, Carmel Zammit, has described the use, prescription and dispensing of the morning-after pill as “morally wrong”.
This comes after the Gibraltar Government announced that the morning-after pill would be available over the counter as from last Thursday August 3. Previously, the morning after pill was only available on prescription at the Primary Care Centre.
Wading into the debate, Bishop Zammit flagged the teachings of the Catholic Church on the subject and described the drug as an “abortifacient”, stating that it “causes the chemically induced abortion of a life that already exists”.
In a statement the Bishop acknowledged that it is up to the authorities to decide what they consider is best for the ‘Common Good’, adding that in a democratic society anyone may welcome or disagree with what the authorities decide.
“That said, it is my duty as the Bishop of the Catholic Church in Gibraltar to draw attention, particularly to those who profess the Catholic faith, to what the Church’s position is and what it teaches about the morning after pill,” he said.
The Church holds that human life begins from the moment of fertilization and not with the implantation of the fertilized ovum.
“The morning after pill is a drug which prevents implantation in the womb of the fertilized egg.”
“In other words, the drug interferes with human life that already exists before implantation.”
“The morning after pill is therefore not like a contraceptive which prevents the creation of a human life, which the Church also opposes.”
Highlighting the position and teaching of the Catholic Church Bishop Zammit said the use, prescription and dispensing of the morning after pill is “morally wrong”.
“Those who take the morning after pill are intending to cause the direct termination of a life already in existence, and those who prescribe or dispense it are similarly morally responsible,” the Bishop added.