Church bars mother after girl, 9, has abortion

Published on Thursday 5 March 2009 21:06

A ROMAN Catholic archbishop in Brazil has excommunicated the mother of a nine-year-old girl allegedly raped by her step-father, after the child was found to be carrying twins and had an abortion.

Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho also excommunicated the doctors who performed the procedure.

Despite the nature of the case, the Church had to hold its line against abortion, Archbishop Sobrinho said. "The law of God is higher than any human laws," he said. "When a human law – that is, a law enacted by human legislators – is against the law of God, that law has no value."

Jose Gomes Temporao, Brazil's health minister, rebuked the archbishop, saying: "I'm shocked by what happened to the girl and by the position of the archbishop, who in saying he defends life puts another at risk."

Abortion is illegal in Brazil, home to more Catholics than any other nation. But the procedure is allowed when the mother's life is in danger, when the foetus has no chance of survival or in rape cases, where the woman has not passed her 20th week of pregnancy.

The girl was 15 weeks' pregnant when the abortion was performed on Wednesday. Officials said the life of the girl, who weighs 5st 7lb, was in danger. The pregnancy was discovered last week when the girl fell ill and her mother took her to a clinic. The stepfather is in police custody.