I'd be interested in views on this. Brief recap, 9 year old Brazilian girl was repeatedly raped by step-father from age 6 and became pregnant with twins aged 9. Mother and doctors (all Catholic) procurred an abortion and were promptly excommunicated by the church. The doctors said quite categorically that the girl would probably die if she went to term. The church rules that anyone involved in procurring an abortion is immediately excommunicated as it is an evil act, regardless of the circumstances. The step-father wasn't excommunicated or the child who is considered too young to make her own decisions.
I was brought up Catholic and my elderly parents (both intelligent people) are extremely religious. I no longer consider myself a Catholic, rather a Christian and I attend a C of E church and my DD goes to a
C of E school. I'm absolutely appalled by this case and it has moved me further from Catholicism than ever. Apparently a spokesman for the Vatican has condoned the actions of the Brazilian church. My parents are defending ththe church because they find it virtually impossible to question any of its rulings.
I do appreciate how dearly they hold the church and I don't want to upset them because they really are good, decent people but I'm really shocked that they don't seem able to question this. When I visit them I take me and DD of 9 to a Catholic service just to please them but I don't know if it would be right for me to carry on doing this now. On the other hand I know how much it would hurt them if I stopped and am in a real quandry. Is there anyone in a similar situation or who has any views on this horrendous case?