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Original poster

The Catholic Church In Brazil

67 replies

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 07/03/2009 22:46

has excommunicated doctors who performed an abortion on a nine-year old girl, pregnant with twins by her rapist stepfather. Had she not had the terminations, she and the twins all would have died. Brazil's laws say abortion is OK in the case of rape or threat to the mother's life - but apparently "God's laws" are more important.

How can these celibate men be so lacking in compassion?

OP posts:
tiredlady · 07/03/2009 22:52

Oh christ. That poor child.

I would be interested to hear what any catholic MNers think.

Surely no one in their right minds would have wanted that little girl to go ahead with that pregnancy

MsHighwater · 07/03/2009 22:58

Utterly bonkers and completely reprehensible. I can't get my head round the notion that a pregnant 9 year old is "God's will" and I'm a Christian (tho not Roman Catholic).

Swank · 07/03/2009 22:58

I wonder whether the rapist stepdad was excommunicated too.

nametaken · 07/03/2009 23:04

What this catholic mumsnetter thinks:

This story isn't really about the poor little girl being raped. People need to try to keep emotions out of it. It's about catholic doctors carrying out abortions.

I wouldn't think those doctors could care less that they were excommunicated. They are hardly likely to have entered the abortion profession if they cared about the catholic church are they?

Tommy · 07/03/2009 23:07

agree with nametaken

don't know what else to say except that God is bigger than the Catholic church in Brazil - and the Catholic church anywhere for that matter.

tiredlady · 07/03/2009 23:08

"this story isn't about the poor little girl being raped. People need to try and keep emotions out of it"

Really?

Tommy · 07/03/2009 23:10

I think what nametaken is trying to say is that the media are more interested in the excommunication than the girl (hope I'm right nametaken)

nametaken · 07/03/2009 23:11

yes, tiredlady, really. It's not about the girl, it's about the doctors. If you want to talk about how abhorrant it is that a 9 year old girl was raped by her stepfather, then that's a whole other thread.

nametaken · 07/03/2009 23:12

you're exactly right, Tommy - you kept emotion out of it - are you a man by any chance?

Original poster
OldLadyKnowsNothing · 07/03/2009 23:14

Are Catholic doctors who nonetheless perform abortions here in the UK also routinely excommunicated?

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Tommy · 07/03/2009 23:14

No!!!!

Tommy · 07/03/2009 23:16

the media has a bizarre view of Catholicism IMO - they always want to shock and don't bother too much about the reality of most people's experience of it

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 07/03/2009 23:16

I don't get it. Genuinely. I'm not claiming to be an expert on religion, but I really don't get it.

So, whether the doctor did the right thing in the circumstances is neither here nor there so far as God is concerned?

tiredlady · 07/03/2009 23:18

The doctors were acting within the law, to prevent further suffering being visited upon this child.
They did nothing wrong or illegal.

edam · 07/03/2009 23:20

Well, it's in line with the way the church behaved during The Troubles - excommunicating girls who had abortions while giving absolution to murdering terrorists.

The hierarchy of the catholic church has always hated women, same way fundamentalist Islamic preachers hate women.

nametaken · 07/03/2009 23:26

Are Catholic doctors who nonetheless perform abortions here in the UK also routinely excommunicated

If they make it known to the church that they are carrying out abortions then yes, they are excommunicated.

However, it's my guess that they go about their business quietly and privately, and don't tell the church that they carry out abortions

nametaken · 07/03/2009 23:26

Tommy - sorry, it was the name that made me wonder

tiredlady · 07/03/2009 23:28

Not meaning to be inflamatory - this is a genuine question - were any of the Catholic priests found guilty of child abuse ever excommuniated?

Tommy · 07/03/2009 23:30

That's ok nametaken - I forgive you - being a good Catholic and all that (and it is Lent after all)

edam · 07/03/2009 23:30

VERY good question, tiredlady.

nametaken · 07/03/2009 23:31

You'll have to ask the Vatican that question tiredlady? Us mere mortals aren't privy to those decisions.

Tommy · 07/03/2009 23:32

excommunication is a bit of a widely misunderstood concept as well.

There are very few people who have been officially excommunicated (in recent times anyway)

tiredlady · 07/03/2009 23:33

I'll take that as a no then..

nametaken · 07/03/2009 23:33

my mother was excommunicated for getting a divorce in the 70's

Like she cared!!!!!

Original poster
OldLadyKnowsNothing · 07/03/2009 23:34

OK, so they carried out an abortion, and they knew the risks. (Aren't most people in Brazil Catholic? So surely most abortions should lead to excommunications all round?)

But they also saved the child's life - shouldn't that take precedence?

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