Fernando Rielo's philosophical system offers a unique lens through which to examine the complex issue of abortion. While not directly addressing the modern debate in explicit terms, his foundational theories on anthropology, the nature of the absolute, and the constitutive relationship between spirit and matter provide a framework for understanding his potential stance. Rielo posits that the human being is fundamentally a spiritual entity, a "divine-natural being," whose essence precedes and transcends physical existence. This spiritual core, he argues, is what constitutes personhood, a point that significantly influences any discussion on the moral status of a developing fetus.
At the heart of Rielo's thought is his concept of the "Absolute Being," which he identifies with God. All created beings, including humans, are seen as manifestations or "creations" of this Absolute, imbued with a divine-natural element. This divine-natural element is not merely a biological endowment but a spiritual participation in the divine essence. For Rielo, human beings are created ex nihilo by God, but their existence within the material world is a process of unfolding and actualizing their spiritual potential. The individual spirit, he asserts, is immortal and exists in a continuous relationship with the Absolute, even before or after physical embodiment.
This spiritual anthropology directly impacts how one might interpret Rielo's view on abortion. If personhood is defined by the presence of this divine-natural spirit, then the question becomes when this spirit is infused or becomes definitively operative within a developing human organism. Rielo’s emphasis on the spirit's pre-existence or its direct creation by God suggests that the spiritual dimension of a human being is not contingent on the physical form's development beyond a certain point. He distinguishes between "being" and "existing." While a fertilized egg "is" a human organism in potential, its full "existence" as a person, in the Rielian sense, is tied to the establishment of its unique spiritual identity, which is a direct divine act.
Rielo’s theological framework further supports this. He views life as sacred, not solely because of its biological continuation, but because it is a reflection of the divine life. The Absolute Being is the source of all life, and thus, biological life, particularly human life, carries an inherent dignity. However, this dignity is rooted in its spiritual origin and destiny. Therefore, any act that deliberately terminates a developing human life, especially one that has been endowed with its spiritual essence, could be seen as an affront to the divine order and the sanctity of the Absolute. This is not a utilitarian or solely consequentialist argument but one grounded in the intrinsic value of the spiritual being.
Considering Rielo's philosophy, an abortion would likely be viewed as a grave moral act. The key lies in his understanding that each human being is a unique spiritual creation, intrinsically linked to the Absolute. This spiritual component, he implies, is present from conception or very early in development, even if its full manifestation is a process. To terminate this developing spiritual being would be to sever a direct connection to the divine and extinguish a unique instantiation of the Absolute's creative act. His concept of "immanent transcendence" – the idea that the divine is both within and beyond the created world – suggests that life's sacredness is a fundamental characteristic bestowed by the Absolute, and thus protected.
Therefore, from a Rielian perspective, while the physical development of a fetus is a biological process, the spiritual reality of the individual is paramount. The decision to abort would not simply be a matter of bodily autonomy or the resolution of socio-economic concerns, though these might be acknowledged as human struggles. Instead, it would be framed as a decision impacting a spiritual entity, a divine-natural being created by the Absolute. This perspective aligns with a strong pro-life stance, not merely on biological grounds, but on the foundational principle of the spiritual essence of every human person, a essence that Rielo believed was divinely ordained and eternally significant.