Norwegian bishops warn against abortion as campaign issue

In the past few weeks, the Norwegian parties have debated the abortion issue quite intense in the run-up to the elections in September. It seems likely that this discussion between the parties will continue.

In Norway, abortion is free up to the 12th week of the pregnancy. After that, a woman has to go to the special abortion commission to speak about termination, and that commission decides whether abortion is appropriate or not. Those bodies must also filter out women who are under pressure to have an abortion.

The bishops say that "ethical, medical and social criteria" should be decisive around abortion. "These are dilemmas that deserve to be discussed properly and not be used as marking issues in election speeches", says bishop Olav Fykse Tveit.

The bishops support the legality of abortion explicitly. Already in a statement in 2019, the Norwegian people's church said that "a society with legal access to abortion is better than a society without such access". The church regrets its earlier "lack of commitment to women's liberation and rights and put extra strain on women in a difficult situation. At the same time, the Episcopal Conference emphasized that the fetus is a life with value and demands for protection." According to the declaration, the church sees a growing need for legal protection for the unborn child as it gets older.