Monday, March 9, 2009

The World should excommunicate the Catholic church

This is a direct quote from my husband, a reformed Catholic, when I told him about the lovely fact that the Catholic church in Brazil has excommunicated the doctors and mother of a 9-year-old rape victim.  In case you haven't heard, this child was raped by her step-father and conceived twins.  Doctors believed that carrying twins to term would have likely resulted in the death of the girl.  Even though Brazilian law allows for abortions in cases of rape or when the mother's life would be endangered, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re excommunicated the doctors who determined this pregnancy would endanger the child and her mother for allowing the abortion because the "twins...were two innocent persons".

This pisses me off.  This child has had her innocence ripped away by a sexual sadist who allegedly raped her disabled sister as well.  Does the Cardinal Battista Re excommunicate this monster?  NO.  Rape is not equivalent to murder abortion, he says.  I say this pathetic excuse for a man has murdered this child's innocence. I suppose we should be grateful that Cardinal Re didn't excommunicate her.


The Brazilian church seems to feel they're being attacked for this decision.  Indeed, they are.  And rightly so.

She's nine.  She should be worried about learning to read and making friends at school not whether or not she has to defend herself against her step-monster or the Catholic church.  Raped once by a mad man.  Raped again by the Church.

The Vatican backs the Cardinal. 

5 comments:

Jane Devin said...

I don't understand how anyone could remain Catholic after something like this, anymore than I understand how someone can remain Muslim after all the violence and hate spewed by its clerics.

I find it quite possible to be spiritual without organized religion, and I hold religion more responsible than God for all the damage heaped upon the world in his name.

NoTea4Me said...

What else would you expect from an organization based on patriarchal tyranny?

The Catholic Church spent decades hiding and defending their child-raping clergy, so it's no surprise to me that they would stand with a child-raping step-father over the rights of the victim.

Islam and Catholicism have at least one thing in common, they both advocate the oppression of women.

Pseudo said...

Ah, another good reason to avoid organized religions. Horrible story. I hope the clergy in charge of this decision get sent someplace where they will have no influence.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with both the previous commenters. I blogged about this also...it is beyond outrageous. The Catholic Church makes a mockery of God. This is not godly, caring, kind, loving, etc. etc. This is bombastic, legalistic, authoritarian, UNreligious male-dominance gone awry.

I have no respect for the Catholic Church with their defense and hiding of child rapists and now this. This little girl needed compassion and understanding and love. What was done to her was horrific and this makes it even more so.

Mama Dawg said...

ugh, makes me want to hurl.