Chilean cardinal stirs controversy as country debates heartbeat law

Cardinal Fernando Chomali seeks to shift the focus from whether or not a pregnant woman should hear her baby’s heartbeat to the doctor, who should know better than to ever take an innocent human life.

Cardinal Fernando Chomali, the archbishop of Santiago and primate of Chile, once again addressed the country’s pending “Listen to Their Heart” bill, which seeks to mandate within the abortion protocol (authorized in Chile under three specific grounds) an opportunity for the patient to listen to the babyʼs heartbeat.

Specifically, according to the bill’s legislative summary, the measure would modify the country’s health code “to establish the duty of the doctor to inform the woman about the embryonic or fetal heart activity and to offer her the opportunity to hear it prior to the interruption of the pregnancy.”

Speaking with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, the cardinal sought to shift the focus of the discussion to the healthcare professionals involved. “It pains me that there are doctors who agree to perform an abortion,” he lamented.

Chomali also expressed regret over a tweet in which he stated that every mother should rejoice at hearing a heartbeat. “It pains me to have been a source of division in that regard,” he emphasized.

He explained that he is opposed to abortion under any circumstances. “I believe those three grounds should not exist,” he stated, drawing on his experience of accompanying women who are enduring a “horrific ordeal” such as rape, a fetus with serious medical issues, or whose life is at risk.

In such cases, he called for a “renewed recognition of what it means to care for another person,” noting that “when there is medical, psychological, spiritual, and financial support, women feel more supported and decide against [abortion].”

Regarding doctors who perform abortions, he remarked: “I find that terrible; I think that instead of showing the heartbeat to a woman facing a very difficult, complex situation, it would be very good for that heartbeat to be heard by a doctor who is committed to healing, curing, and caring for life.”

In this regard, he noted that doctors take an oath that entails “doing everything possible to heal and never to cause harm and here, objectively, someone is being harmed: a human being.”

He thus called for a review of current regulations: “It’s always the right time to examine all laws, because laws can be improved.”

“If you look at the bigger picture, a human life is being eliminated,” he summarized.

“Someone told me that with this attitude of mine, I mean, opposing the three grounds for abortion, I would turn half the world against me and end up all alone. I would rather stand alone than betray something as fundamental as the truth: that there is an innocent human being who deserves every possible care that could be given to it, and that’s that,” he declared.

I would rather stand alone than betray something as fundamental as the truth: that there is an innocent human being who deserves every possible care that could be given to it.”

Cardinal Fernando Chomali

Speaking to Radio Duna, the cardinal noted that this is simply “one bill among many” and expressed the view that “it must be addressed where it belongs: in the Legislature. They will have to decide whether or not they agree with it.”

Chomali added that “it is a matter that must be handled with great prudence, tact, and good judgment.” He expressed the view that “a woman could always have the option to hear the heartbeat,” but clarified: “Making it mandatory would be a matter for discussion.”

The archbishop further advised against confrontation: “What does not seem right to me is the use of language that serves only to polarize, when what matters is the truth,” he insisted.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.