The Church Condemns and will always Condemn Abortion
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has published an article in the July 11th edition of L’Osservatore Romano, in the section assigned to the official announcements from the Holy See. The article is entitled: Concerning Induced Abortion - Clarification from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It explains the reasons for the clarification: “The Holy See has recently several letters, some of them from high ranking political or ecclesiastical personalities, informing it of the confusion brought about in various countries, especially in Latin America, because of the manipulation and use made of the article by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Academy for life” concerning the abortion of the Brazilian girl. (See DICI 193)
“This article, published in L’Osservatore Romano, on March 15, 2009, recalled that the Congregation for the Faith was presenting the doctrine of the Church, while taking into account the dramatic situation of the little girl, who — as it could be observed afterwards had been surrounded by all the pastoral care possible, especially from the prelate who was at the time the Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho.” The first request for greater precisions came from Archbishop Sobrinho who, in a note released on March 16, had reproached Archbishop Fisichella for having spoken about “what he did not know,” and “provoked a great confusion among Catholic faithfuls in Brazil.” The South American archbishop had then asked for a right to answer in L’Osservatore Romano.
According to Vatican observer Sandro Magister, from the Italian weekly L’Espresso, the clarification was published in L’Osservatore Romano upon order of Benedict XVI himself, following an interview with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State. The Italian journalist said that the latter would have previously received a letter written by some members of the Pontifical Academy for Life — originally addressed to Cardinal William Levada, Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — requesting a declaration which clarifies the doctrine of the Church regarding abortion. At the same time, two members of the Pontifical Academy for Life directly sent to the pope a dossier concerning the affair. On July 1, Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, who left his functions the very day following his 76th birthday.
“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith confirms that the doctrine of the Church concerning induced abortion has not changed and cannot change,” the article reads. “Human life must be absolutely respected and protected from the instant of conception.” “Formal cooperation to an abortion is a grave sin. The Church punishes this crime against human life with the canonical penalty of excommunication.”
(Sources: APIC/Imedia/L’Osservatore Romano)
