Abortion Morality

Recently a nine year old Brazilian girl, who, after complaining of stomach pains and taken to a hospital, was discovered to be four months pregnant with twins, allegedly after being raped by her stepfather. Pregnancies at such an early age are rare and there is literally no significant accumulated data on the outcomes of such cases but they are generally considered high risk pregnancies. Her doctor said, "She doesn't have a pelvis able to support a gestation of twins.''

Although abortion is illegal in Brazil judges can make exceptions if the mother's life is in danger or the fetus has no chance of survival. After hearing reports from the child's doctor a judge approved it and an abortion was performed. Fatima Maia, director of the public university hospital where the abortion was performed, said the 15-week-old pregnancy posed a serious risk to the 36-kilogram girl. It's a sad and unfortunate situation that ended in the termination two fetal lives.

Enter the Brazilian archbishop, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, who excommunicated all the people involved in the abortion, the girl's mother and the doctors included. The nine year old girl herself was spared, as being too young. The stepfather was not excommunicated because the church said that his action, although deplorable, was not as bad as ending the life of a fetus.

Marcio Miranda, a lawyer for the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife in northeastern Brazil, clarified the Churches position by stating that the girl should have carried the fetuses to term and had a cesarean section despite the risk.

When hearing of the excommunication, Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, lashed out at the archbishop in outrage. Silva said that it was clear the doctors saved the girl's life by performing the abortion. The excommunications are, no doubt, just the result of the archbishop's "conservative attitude."

I see the Church's public excommunications as dramatic demonstration of their desire to exert power and authority over their followers. The church figuratively puts "heads on pikes" to make it clear to Church followers they depend on the Church for their salvation. This is not subtle persuasion but outright extortion. It demonstrates just how out of touch

But in times of declining submission to authority. Such public demonstration of authority maybe vital to their survival.

From the Vatican Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said the attacks on Brazil's Catholic Church were unfair.