www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall 66 yr. old Romanian Orthodox woman gives birth

MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
New mom at age 66
admits to abortions
Elderly woman who desperately wanted baby says terminations were routine birth control
Posted: January 24, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern


� 2005 WorldNetDaily.com


Adriana Iliescu, the 66-year-old woman who last week became the world's oldest mother said as a young woman she had two abortions she now deeply regrets � even considering it murder.

Adriana Iliescu, a professor of literature at Romania's largest private university, the Hyperion, in Bucharest, gave birth to her daughter, Eliza Maria, after undergoing fertility treatment. Speaking to the London Telegraph, she said she had become pregnant twice in her early 20s during a failed four-year marriage.

Iliescu said that the pregnancies were aborted because that was a routine method of birth control in her country at the time. She added, however, that she had spent most of the rest of her life wishing that she had a child.

"I got married when I was only 20 and still a student," she explained. "My husband was also still a student at the atomic physics university back then, and the marriage didn't last long. We divorced four years later. In that time I had two pregnancy terminations � it was the normal thing back then and the accepted form of contraception. If there is anything I regret then it is those terminations, not having a baby now. Religion was not a big part of many people's lives and I had never had any religious education, I believed the party line that a fetus is only considered life when it is older than three months. In those days I would never have thought of a termination as murder, as I do now."

Iliescu gave birth last Sunday, seven weeks early, after undergoing in vitro fertilization. She was originally carrying triplets, but one died at 10 weeks and another earlier this month. Her doctors decided to induce the delivery of her remaining child. Iliescu's daughter weighed 3 pounds at birth.

""Each person has a mission on earth. My mission was to prove that women who want to have children can do it," she said after the delivery.

Iliescu said the moment she looked at her baby and touched her for the first time was "the happiest in my life. She grabbed my finger with her tiny hand and held it � it was a gift from God."

Iliescu said she had "discovered religion" after her marriage � she is Romanian Orthodox � and believed that, after decades of hoping for a child, her daughter's arrival had divine sanction.

"During this time I never gave up my faith in God and in the power of trying to realize one's dreams," she said.

The previous record for the oldest mother was held by a woman in India who in 2003 had a child at the age of 65.
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42514

While I understand this woman's joy, I also cannot help to think of the child that may lose it's mother at a very young age. Even if the child's mother lives a long life--let's say to 87--the child will still only be twenty.

Alice

There was a lady lawyer in Knoxville a few years ago who wouldn't have children while younger since it would interfere with her career. She is Catholic, by the way. So she had in vitro fertilization and had a baby. The blessed event was front page on the local news section of the newspaper complete with photos of the baby and happy parents. The pastor and assistant pastor at the RC church where I am organist roundly condemned her from the pulpit and even called her selfish, irresponsible and a bad example for Catholics. I was surprised to hear that, but it was kind of refreshing in this age of looking the other way at sin and trying to call it something else.

They, the priest and the asistant, need a huge bravo Charles.

Alice the thing that struck me about the article was conversion and repentance.

"I got married when I was only 20 and still a student," she explained. "My husband was also still a student at the atomic physics university back then, and the marriage didn't last long. We divorced four years later. In that time I had two pregnancy terminations � it was the normal thing back then and the accepted form of contraception. If there is anything I regret then it is those terminations, not having a baby now. Religion was not a big part of many people's lives and I had never had any religious education, I believed the party line that a fetus is only considered life when it is older than three months. In those days I would never have thought of a termination as murder, as I do now."

I agree with you totally about the child having an elderly mother at a very young age. Hopefully she has a good nanny .

Pani Rose

Isn't invitro fertilization morally condemned by the Orthodox and Catholics???

Doesn't it leave numerous embryos in 'limbo' that usually get destroyed???

Can someone please explain this. Thanks!

In Christ,
Alice

Friends-

I hate to be like some of the answerers at EWTN (who answer questions with quotes from the Cathecism), nor do I want to be a "Cathecism-thumper" (several of whom I know). But, in answer to Alice's question, I nevertheless submit the following from CCC 2376-7:

Quote

Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral. These techniques (heterologous artificial insemination and fertilization) infringe the child's right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. They betray the spouses' "right to become a father and a mother only through each other."167

Techniques involving only the married couple (homologous artificial insemination and fertilization) are perhaps less reprehensible, yet remain morally unacceptable. They dissociate the sexual act from the procreative act. The act which brings the child into existence is no longer an act by which two persons give themselves to one another, but one that "entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. Such a relationship of domination is in itself contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children."168 "Under the moral aspect procreation is deprived of its proper perfection when it is not willed as the fruit of the conjugal act, that is to say, of the specific act of the spouses' union. . . . Only respect for the link between the meanings of the conjugal act and respect for the unity of the human being make possible procreation in conformity with the dignity of the person."169

My understanding is that invitro falls into the first paragraph. Other views?

When I worked for a Maternal and Child Health hotline (in another life!) we knew of a Central American woman who was still giving birth into her 60s, 64 I think. She had 'kids' who were old enough to be grandparents of her youngest!!! Amazing :-)

wg

Hi TN,

Was this new mother in the congregation when the Fathers said this?!?

wg

She belonged to a parish in the western part of town. But I think she had stopped attending there as well. If I remember correctly, the RC diocesan newspaper wasn't complimentary either when it covered the story of her new motherhood. What brought all this to the forefront was the local Scripps newspaper that carried the story, and went to great lengths to point out that she was Catholic. They did, in some fairness, print a response from a Catholic pastor who stated she was disobedient to the teachings of the Church.

Alice I agree, that it is condemned by the Church.

Never-the-less she repented and accepted Christ. She came to the understanding that abortion was murder. That is the miracle. I hope many others will come to conversion.

Pani Rose

Hi Pani Rose,

Please understand I am in no way commenting on the reason behind you posting this. It is interesting and with spiritual significance and meaning indeed--just as all the articles you post.

It is a commnetary about communist countries, atheistic idealogies which discounted judeo-Christian moral absolutes, and repentance. That is clear.

It just brought to mind so many questions I had about other things.

For instance, the in vitro question is something I was hoping to get answers on...not because of this article, per se, but because of the surplus embryos.

So many people, even those of faith, seem to be going this route--and that is why I wanted to know. Infact, the doctor who delivered my daughter, a very, very good and compassionate practicing Catholic man with a large family, who refused to personally do abortions in his practice, was a pioneer of in-vitro fertilization.

Always fondly,
your sister in Christ,
Alice

Hi TN,

Was this new mother in the congregation when the Fathers said this?!?

wg

"She belonged to a parish in the western part of town."


Thanks TN,

Ah... yes, we are quite brave to condemn, when the person in question is not in our presence! :-( wg

Actually, this was mentioned city-wide in the Catholic churches and the diocesan newspaper. It was felt that this prominent person was causing scandal to other Catholics, and it should be clear that the Church did not approve of her behavior. It wasn't a matter of bravery, but of instructing the faithful, which good priests should always do. You have to remember that this lady posed for pictures in the local newspaper and didn't mind being the center of attention. She readily revealed her in vitro fertilization and her Catholicism to the press. It would have been irresponsible for the priests to say nothing.