As Scotland witnesses a notable rise in abortion figures, the Catholic Church has voiced its concerns, emphasizing the need for enhanced support for women navigating challenging pregnancies. This response comes amid alarming statistics that also highlight an increase in abortions based on disability.
Public Health Scotland has released data indicating that abortions soared to 18,783 last year, marking a 55% increase from 2016’s 12,135 procedures. This uptick is not due to a population increase, as the abortion rate per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 also climbed from 11.9 in 2016 to 17.6 in 2025. The data underscores a growing trend in both absolute and relative terms.
In addition, 2025 saw 277 abortions due to disability, a 61% rise since 2018. The data also reports a 50% jump in abortions performed between the 18th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, just shy of the 24-week legal threshold.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has called for compassion in handling these statistics, urging for a supportive approach to women facing difficult pregnancies.
Bishop John Keenan, President of the Conference, remarked, “Behind every figure is a unique human life, created with inherent dignity, and a mother who may be facing fear, isolation or hardship. These numbers should prompt not resignation, but a renewed determination to build a society where every life is welcomed and protected.”
Emphasizing the multifaceted challenges of unexpected pregnancies, Bishop Keenan stated, “The Church does not underestimate the real challenges that can accompany a crisis or unexpected pregnancy. Women deserve practical, emotional and financial support, not a culture that too often presents abortion as the only solution.”
The bishop appealed to the Scottish government to cultivate an environment that values both pregnant women and unborn children, moving beyond seeing abortion as a simple solution.
“Scotland should aspire to be a nation where compassion means standing with both mother and child, and where the dignity of every human life is defended from conception to natural death,” he added.
A review of Scotland’s abortion laws, initiated by former First Minister Humza Yousaf, suggests allowing abortion for any reason up to the 24-week limit.
Although the review supports maintaining the 24-week limit, it allows for post-limit abortions if specific, albeit vague, conditions are met, such as considering “the patient’s current and reasonably foreseeable physical, psychological and social circumstances.”
Right to Life UK has expressed concerns that adopting these measures could result in Scotland having “one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
