Pro-Life Leaders Worldwide Concerned about Weakening of Vatican's Pro-Life Stand in Wake of

[Pro_Life_News]

By Hilary White, Rome correspondent ROME, May 1, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In recent weeks, pro-life Catholics from around the world have flooded Vatican offices with protests, petitions and letters asking for a retraction or clarification on an article published by L’Osservatore Romano…

Full article…

 

[taylor2]

I don’t see why the pope doesn’t give a statement once and for all on the church’s stance against abortion. PJP II was open and very clear about his stance against it, and it seems pope Benedict needs to do the same. It will certainly give a lot of Catholics relief that the church’s belief will always be against it regardless of what some priests or bishops or the media say . I guess the pope will announce something soon.

 

[rwoehmke]

It seems to me that both sides of this controversy are drawing way too many conclusions based on very little actual knowledge of the situation. Any one who at this distance concludes that this nine year old child and her twins could survive to the point of a sucessful live birth of the babies, whether or not the nine your old survived or died is smoking some form of pot. My speculation is that without the medical intervention it was determined that there would be no survivors; somewhat akin to a tubal pregnancy. That I admit is sheer speculation on my part. Given all hoops that that article in the Vatican newspaper had to pass through, I would further speculate that there is a lot more to this situation than meets the eye.

 

[Will8503]

It seems to me that both sides of this controversy are drawing way too many conclusions based on very little actual knowledge of the situation. Any one who at this distance concludes that this nine year old child and her twins could survive to the point of a sucessful live birth of the babies, whether or not the nine your old survived or died is smoking some form of pot. My speculation is that without the medical intervention it was determined that there would be no survivors; somewhat akin to a tubal pregnancy. That I admit is sheer speculation on my part. Given all hoops that that article in the Vatican newspaper had to pass through, I would further speculate that there is a lot more to this situation than meets the eye.

In a tubal pregnancy, pro-life Catholic doctors who remain faithful to the teachings of the Church would deal with the situation without performing an abortion. In that case the part of the tube with the fetus might be removed along with the fetus. Although the fetus may die, it would not be because of an abortion (which is the direct and willful taking of an innocent human life).
I wonder if the situation with the 9 year old girl would be dealt with similarly…does anyone know?

 

[elts1956]

In a tubal pregnancy, pro-life Catholic doctors who remain faithful to the teachings of the Church would deal with the situation without performing an abortion. In that case the part of the tube with the fetus might be removed along with the fetus. Although the fetus may die, it would not be because of an abortion (which is the direct and willful taking of an innocent human life).
I wonder if the situation with the 9 year old girl would be dealt with similarly…does anyone know?

I don’t think so. From what I have read (didn’t write the source/s down oops!) one report said if the child could have carried the babies for about two more weeks, she could have been delivered by ceasarian procedures, she would have lived and in all liklihood so would the babies. A source also said her life at that point would not have been in danger and it was not in danger when the article was written. I think the Rome prelate was wrong.

 

[ryecroft]

I’m sorry, but this is one of the times when I have to wonder if the church has any compassion for those that are pregnant and in a situation where (this doctor) said that the girl would very likely die if she continued with the pregnancy. THrough no fault of her own, this girl was raped by her father multiple times and got pregnant. The fact that the Church is excommunicating the doctor and the mother for trying to save the girl but has not done anything like excommunicate the father who caused her to get pregnant just blows my mind! That girl is going to carry around emotional scars for the rest of her life. Good lord 9 years old and pregnant from incest - she weighs all of 80 pounds and people are questioning if they went a little longer she might have lived - I think the doctor made it very clear that to continue the pregnancy was a death sentence for the girl. Perhaps the church needs to look more at excommunicating the father of the girl instead of those trying to care for her.

God Bless
Rye

 

[elts1956]

I’m sorry, but this is one of the times when I have to wonder if the church has any compassion for those that are pregnant and in a situation where (this doctor) said that the girl would very likely die if she continued with the pregnancy. THrough no fault of her own, this girl was raped by her father multiple times and got pregnant. The fact that the Church is excommunicating the doctor and the mother for trying to save the girl but has not done anything like excommunicate the father who caused her to get pregnant just blows my mind! That girl is going to carry around emotional scars for the rest of her life. Good lord 9 years old and pregnant from incest - she weighs all of 80 pounds and people are questioning if they went a little longer she might have lived - I think the doctor made it very clear that to continue the pregnancy was a death sentence for the girl. Perhaps the church needs to look more at excommunicating the father of the girl instead of those trying to care for her.

God Bless
Rye

There have been mixed reports regarding whether the child would live if she had carried the babies a while longer. Could you give sources that you have read regarding this? I know I have read different reports stating she was in no danger of dying. I will try to find this source also.

 

[mapleoak]

Good lord 9 years old and pregnant from incest - she weighs all of 80 pounds and people are questioning if they went a little longer she might have lived

Yes, it is a legitimate question. Especially when there is a baby’s life at stake.

• I think the doctor made it very clear that to continue the pregnancy was a death sentence for the girl.

Death sentence by whom? In truth, if a baby is aborted, it is the baby who is given a death sentence.

Perhaps the church needs to look more at excommunicating the father of the girl instead of those trying to care for her.

A Catholic who procures or performs an abortion is automatically excommunicated.

 

[choose_to_love]

Rye, as I understand it, excommunication is primarily intended to be medicinal, in the sense that it is to draw the actor’s attention to the fact that the actions taken are spiritually dangerous/deadly, and cause the actor to examine his actions in light of the very severe consequence of being out of communion with Christ’s church. I think in some respects it is also to educate and protect the faithful.

That being said, I think everybody “gets” that raping your step-child is wrong, so in that sense, there is no need for a public proclamation. I am sufficiently unsure of canon law as to whether there is even a provision in canon law for excommunication for typical mortal sins, but I think the point is that all the faithful understand that rape, murder of an adult, etc., are mortal sins.

However, as is amply demonstrated on this board, in the Church, and in society, it is apparently not clear to some that directly intended procured abortion is evil, and that is why it is an excommunicatable, if that is a word, offense.

As to the facts, I agree that there is very little verifable information about the Brazilian girl’s actual condition, but I recall she was at least four months along, so she was presumably approaching the point where the babies were able to survive, with intensive intervention, outside the womb. I do not think anyone is suggesting anything other than that the babies be carried as long as possible, so as to give them at least a chance, given that the girl was in stable condition and apparently receiving care.

BTW, if mom, doctors, and even step-father repent, they will all be equally welcome back in the Church. Number two, perhaps the Church would wait for the criminal system to make a determination as to step-dad’s guilt, as I think he is at this point accused but not convicted, assuming there a provision for excommunication under those circumstances. Number three, from a practical standpoint, I think the Church could have perhaps made some mention of the step-father, excommunication, and why it was not (AFAIK) applied to step-dad, seeing how it was absolutely foreseeable that the Church would get creamed like it typically does in the secular media.