2- When the mother is exposed to radiation in early pregnancy or has mistakenly taken dangerous medications:

* Real Story:

In the beginning of my priestly life in Alexandria, I was visiting a family. After reading the Holy Bible and talking for a while about spiritual things, I was about to leave their home, but the mother said, “You should not go until I tell you the story of Mina.” Her son, Mina, was about ten years old at that time and had a sister one year older than him and another sister two years younger. All were sitting with us.

The mother continued, “After I had given birth to my older daughter, I was pregnant again, but without knowing it. My daughter was diagnosed with German measles (Rubella), and I caught it from her. I took a lot of medicine to be cured. I discovered later that I was pregnant. I had a blood test, and many Rubella antibodies were found. I was advised to end the pregnancy for the fetus would be disfigured. This was the third month of the pregnancy, and I was not happy about aborting the child. I felt that God had given me a precious gift and that I should protect it.

“I went to Cairo in the fifth month of my pregnancy, and my sister advised me to consult a doctor. I was told again to abort the child, but I refused for my conscious was not in agreement. I prayed and put the future in God’s hands.

“In the ninth month, I went to the monastery of St. Mina to receive the blessing of St. Mina and Pope Kyrillos VI. I saw there bishop Mina Ava Mina, the Abbot of the monastery, and he called me to come near and said, ‘What is the name that you will give to the boy in your womb?’ I was astonished for I did not yet know if the child was a boy or a girl. I responded after a while, ‘If it is a boy, I will call him Mina.’ He smiled and prayed over my head. The next day, I went to the hospital to give birth, and I was afraid. But God gave me a beautiful, healthy child without disfigurement or limitation, and I gave him the name Mina.”

Mina, who the doctors wanted to kill, is now a medical doctor, good deacon and a Sunday school servant in St. Mark Cathedral of Alexandria!

3- Cases of rape and incest:

These cases remind us of the principle of “Protection is better than cure.” This requires education on sexual abuse for our children from an early age. They must understand that sexual abuse may happen in the family and outside the family, so they have to be cautious and understand not to hide anything if they are exposed and tell their parents promptly so that they may be helped medically, psychologically and spiritually.

But if pregnancy occurs, and God allows the formation of a fetus, there is no one that has the right to kill them, regardless of how they were conceived. The baby must be left to complete its cycle of life. If the mother cannot take care of the baby after birth, they may be offered for adoption.

Here also the Church must help by providing special housing to take care of mothers who get pregnant as a result of such situations  until they give birth to their children according to the Holy Bible, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Rom. 12:5).

 (To be continued)