This is just appalling on so many grounds: a child was raped and impregnated, in such a way that her own life is seriously at risk, and even then, some celibate man in a dress thinks that she shouldn’t have an abortion.
Church hits out at 9 year old’s abortion
I was born and bred and educated in the Catholic church, and I had always understood that from the church’s point of view, while abortion was a great evil, that if the mother’s life was in danger, then abortion was permissible, even if regrettable. I guess even that’s too much for women-hating bishops. And they’ve moved on from hating women. Now they hate girl children too.
Advertisement
Thank you. You sum up the issue quite well.
I understand quite well that Catholics consider abortion murder, and so the children of rape or incest should not be aborted – but the exception, which has a biblical basis, for preserving the life of the mother has always been accepted, if sadly.
The Bishops’ actions are a mockery of existent Catholic doctrine.
Wow. Just wow.
These bishops don’t appear capable of hate. I think these particular bishops are probably nothing more than purple sacks of organs, fueling narcissistic algorithms.
But in defense of the catholic church, One Farther Joe Martin, among many others has brought healthy spiritual concepts out of the church for the benefit agnostics. I must say, In my humble opinion that I think the catholic church do’s as much good, if not more than harm. But I am going from a very shallow religious awareness.
Yes, I’ve met good and decent men and women in the Catholic church too. But in many ways I think the goodness of those people and the work they do is in spite of the church hierarchy, not because of it.
I think John XXXIII was the last good pope. The ones since then have all been duds, when it comes to caring for real people. I have heard one Catholic woman suggest that perhaps this is the work of the holy spirit, letting things get so bad that eventually there will be another reformation. But I find that a difficult path of logic to go down, thinking about all the individual women and children, and men, who would get sacrificed in the path to a new reformation. Mind you, that same person no longer goes to mass, ever since Ratzinger was elected. I left long ago, and I’m not going back – there’s the small matter of not actually believing in the existence of any gods.
As I say, I no very little about religion. I am probably wowed by the grandeur of catholic architecture and the elaborate sets of symbolism’s. I have have to admit, I don’t really know anything of the reality of having been of the church. I’l try not to blurt out what I don’t really understand in future.
Deborah, I wonder if your leaving the church is paradoxically due to your spiritual integrity; did you separated the catholic concepts that actually make universal sense, from the political nonsense?
I ask that because you express allot of what I regard as good about religion, the desire to work collectively toward common good. Like you I don’t believe in any gods ether( with reservations for when I go offshore sailing, and lack sleep).
This is possibly as low as a religion can go. I know historically they have been responsible for some incredible mass atrocities, but somehow knowing this situation at a personal level (rather than taking aim at some faceless group of “others”) takes a whole new level of callousness.
I can conceive of the thought processes that lead to extremism. I can understand (if not justify) their behaviour. But when I try to understand how a (presumably well fed, not especially oppressed) bishop can reach this conclusion, I draw a blank. It’s not just that I can’t accept his behaviour, I can’t fathom it.
Apparently the Church has excommunicated the mother and the doctors, but not the stepfather. Metaphorically speaking, the church has raped her all over again. Just sickening.
Oh no, it’s even worse. A senior Vatican cleric has backed the Brazilian bishop. And even though the girl’s life was in danger, it seems she too would have been excommunicated except for her age!
The message is clear – women are supposed to be instruments of the priests’ will and the priests’ views, and have no rights or even existence of their own. The babies have sacred rights, but as soon as a girl is pregnant, she doesn’t.
I conclude that the Catholic Church is an enemy of human rights.
” ..there’s the small matter of not actually believing in the existence of any gods.”
There’s another small matter too: even if I believed in the existence of the Abrahamic gods, I’m still not sure I’d worship them!
Just so, Carol.
I call myself a disinterested agnostic – I know if there is a god and I don’t particularly care. I can live my life quite comfortably without this belief. Like you, Deborah, I was brought up a catholic, in a very traditional Irish-Catholic kiwi household. We had lots of rellies who were nuns, brothers and priests, two of my first cousins even went into the convent, although both have since left). I completely agree with you about John XXIII and his successors.
I think this is the most appalling situation. It ranks up there with the bishops who told people that condoms cause AIDS. I think there would be a special corner of hell for these men, if hell existed. Something along the lines of being spitroasted for eternity would be appropriate.
Sorry, should have read “I don’t know if there is a god…”
I have struggled with reading about the catholic churchs response to the crime that happened to this child, she was 9… thats only 4 years older than my eldest daugther… they are still children themselves…
I have been disgusted with some of the responses in other forums that fetuses should have rights from conception, i questioned this from a different view as I had to have an ectopic pregnancy removed because I was in serious danger of dieing.. does this mean I had an “abortion” or would it have been ok because my life was at stake?
Pingback: Not so infallible after all « Vibenna - Ephemera and Speculation
Pingback: What do you call 25 million dead Africans? « Vibenna - Ephemera and Speculation
This was the final straw for me. Any church that would force an already violently and impregnated 65 lb. 9 year old child to carry and give birth to twins is as much a pack of rapists as the stepfather in this case.
The Catholic Church shows their true colors everytime they’re met with a situation like this. Every time, they kick the female involved to the curb — even if the female involved is a 65 lb. 9 year old rape and incest victim.
What else do you need to know?
Oops — should read “violently and criminally” impregnated…etc.