Assisting unmarried mothers

Supporting unmarried mothers

Context

Births outside marriage have increased in all European countries since 1980. In the Scandinavian countries it is about half of all births and in the United Kingdom about one third. Switzerland (8%) and Greece (4%) have among the lowest rates of births outside wedlock.

Claim

***.

Counter-claim

We are sorry to note that not infrequently nowadays it happens that through a certain inversion of the true order of things, ready and bountiful assistance is provided for the unmarried mother and her illegitimate offspring (who, of course must be helped in order to avoid a greater evil) which is denied to legitimate mothers or given sparingly or almost grudgingly. (Papal Encyclical, Casti Connubii, 31 December 1930).