via Guy Adams, The Independent
Declaring that “life must always be protected”, a senior Vatican cleric has defended the Catholic Church’s decision to excommunicate the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old rape victim who had a life-saving abortion in Brazil.
Cardinal Giovanni Batista Re, who heads the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, told reporters that although the girl fell pregnant after apparently being abused by her stepfather, her twins had, “the right to live, and could not be eliminated”.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper, La Stampa, the cardinal added: “It is a sad case but the real problem is that the twins conceived were two innocent persons. Life must always be protected.”
Police believe the girl was sexually assaulted for years by her stepfather, possibly since she was six. That she was four months pregnant with twins emerged only after she was taken to hospital complaining of severe stomach pains.
The controversy represents a PR nightmare for the Vatican. The unnamed girl’s mother and doctors were excommunicated for agreeing to Wednesday’s emergency abortion yet the Church has not taken formal steps against the stepfather, who is in custody. Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, the conservative regional archbishop for Pernambuco where the girl was rushed to hospital, has said that the man would not be thrown out of the Church, because although he had allegedly committed “a heinous crime”, the Church took the view that “the abortion, the elimination of an innocent life, was more serious”.
The Brandt Standard 
What about the debilitating effect of the pregnancy on the little girl? Does her life hold no value? And how can the rapist find absolution after his actions have placed him so far from humanity, if not god itself?
This is misogyny.
Posted by FP | February 7, 2013, 8:44 AMI have never heard something more irrational. A lump of cells clinging to the side of a uterus is much more a booger than a human life. I hope everyone involved in this decision gets raped.
Posted by dingo | February 7, 2013, 8:56 AMQuite an ignorant statement – 4 months is hardly a “lump of cells”. Perhaps a brushup on your biology? And may what you wish upon other come back to you three-fold!!
Posted by Deena | March 5, 2013, 9:37 PMI don’t know what your bias is, but technically, even you are a lump of cells.
Posted by Geaner | December 11, 2013, 11:32 AMSo you are hoping he gets three times the raping those people get? Real nice lady.
Posted by Orion Smith | December 11, 2013, 1:11 PMi like how you wished he gets raped 3 times because he wished someone else get raped. makes total sense. by your own logic you should be raped 9 times.
Posted by scott | December 11, 2013, 1:47 PMretarded
Posted by this is | February 7, 2013, 9:28 AMcrazy crazy crazy
Posted by Zach | February 7, 2013, 9:35 AMTo be honest, isn’t it a good thing? I mean, the mother and the doctor received valuable enlightnment about the nature of the Church, painful but a good lesson if they’re willing to take it.
Posted by Juan | February 7, 2013, 9:56 AMThey’re probably thinking “Oh no, I can’t get to heaven now!”
Posted by Usapp | February 7, 2013, 11:14 AMExcellent point. Perhaps their medical practice will now be free of superstitious mumbo-jumbo.
Posted by David | December 12, 2013, 4:58 AMWho cares? Hopefully the doctor and woman wake up and realize they’re lucky for not being in that cult anymore.
Posted by Mike | February 7, 2013, 10:10 AMThey are extremely lucky to be finally free! Catholic Church is manipulating people for thousands of years to have easy, untaxed income, derived from human weakness and stupidity. How can anybody today… Well, that’s why Republicans lost the election!
Posted by G | February 9, 2013, 1:54 PMRepublicans lost what election? If you’re talking about that joke in the White House it was done through fraud. The Catholic Church had nothing to do with it.
Posted by Larry Bud Melman | December 11, 2013, 2:27 PMPathetic. The church needs to be ended.
Posted by M | February 7, 2013, 10:12 AMThe Catholic Church doesn’t need to be ended any more than any other religion, but it does need to bring itself out of the dark ages. Priests should be allowed to marry, thus maybe attracting more good men and eliminating the hiding places of deviants. And I understand protecting life, BUT there have to be exceptions to the rules. What about the 9 year-old’s life? Her body isn’t made to carry twins! Her life was at risk. She was raped. Her mother was protecting the life of her child. I wholeheartedly disagree with my Church on this one!
Posted by Deena | March 5, 2013, 9:42 PMAre you kidding me? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5OdQGbVNa4
Posted by Kreese Baldwin | February 7, 2013, 10:24 AMThe Catholic Church is evil.
Posted by Guest | February 7, 2013, 10:40 AMOk now your just being preudis or racist (or joking hard to tell online ) There are lot of people makeing up lots of difrent catholic churches who are great ,kind, careing ,people
It this churche, singly, that shoud burn in hell
Posted by Fie | March 30, 2013, 12:00 AMThe Catholic church keeps making Atheism look better and better….
Posted by Lynne | February 7, 2013, 10:43 AMWow, if you want to say life should be protected whatever that is fine I guess, personally I think having a child who was conceived during rape would make you relive that rape every day. And to say abortion is worse than rape is absolutely absurd. No one wanted him to rank which was more heinous, just that if someone who received an abortion is excommunicated that maybe the rapist who put the young girl in a scenario where she and her family felt that this was the only way out, should at least be excommunicated as well. I am all for freedom of religion but there are some really f-ed up religious fanatics out there with ridiculous thoughts in their heads!!
Posted by Matt | February 7, 2013, 10:50 AMi approve to kill the rapist.
Posted by aforice | February 7, 2013, 10:56 AMi approve to kill the rapist.
i know torture is bad thing than murder.
Posted by aforice | February 7, 2013, 10:57 AMBy their fruits shall ye know them. Beliefs, ideas, and memes that produce this kind of result are patently immoral. It’s no wonder so many people are leaving the church and seeking truth from proper authorities. These are their waning years and they know it.
Posted by Scott Lahteine | February 7, 2013, 10:58 AMjust another reason why catholic/christian religion is one of the most fucked up systems in the world
Posted by boo | February 7, 2013, 11:24 AMMaybe if the girl didn’t denounce god she could still be part of the church. Like her father.
Posted by Jones | February 7, 2013, 12:14 PMToo many atheists wrap themselves up in their religion just like catholics. Have you seen a picture of a baby inside a womb at 4 months? I am non-religious but there is no doubt that that those twins were more than a collection of cells and and that they were innocent. Don’t compound one crime with another. Abortion isn’t about god or atheism, its about defining what life is. It is nuanced and complicated and deserves reasoned debate, rather than instant emotional reactions.
Posted by glacialpenman | February 7, 2013, 12:26 PMAtheists are the most intelligent people ever, so you’re wrong.
Posted by Eirhead | February 7, 2013, 12:47 PMI sit corrected.
Posted by glacialpenman | February 7, 2013, 4:03 PMAs a non-religious person, that was an idiotic statement to make.
Posted by Nope | February 8, 2013, 8:01 AMSpoken like a true rebulican…
Posted by :) | February 7, 2013, 11:35 PMWell said!
Posted by Deena | March 5, 2013, 9:43 PMAbortion isn’t about god or atheism it’s about defining what life is
Why can’t more people think like this sentence
Great point your smart
Posted by Fie | March 30, 2013, 12:13 AMReligion kills brains dead.
Posted by Dave Knight | February 7, 2013, 12:42 PMDon’t be a ass
Posted by Fie | March 30, 2013, 12:27 AMComplain about this so called church dont just cause trobul for ever one with religion
Posted by Fie | March 30, 2013, 12:29 AMThe church would rather a little girl give birth to twins whether or not it would kill her. Does anyone know how hard it is on an adult woman to carry twins let alone a 9 year old girl? Her body is NOT capable of carrying a healthy pregnancy.
This is disgusting and blatant misogyny. Remember, if men could get pregnant abortion wouldn’t even be an issue.
Posted by Meghan | February 7, 2013, 2:20 PMTotally agree. It’s ironic to me that Catholics value the lives of unborn fetuses, but not so much the lives of young children. Catholic priests aren’t excommunicated when they rape & molest little boys, they’re just moved to another parish to do the same to other kids. Thou shall not covet thy neighbors wife, and thou shall not commit adultery, but thou can rape small children & still remain in the church community.
This article mentions that the abortion was to save the life of the 9yo because she was going to have twins. A 9yo’s body can’t hold twin babies, those babies would’ve died, and the 9yo girl could’ve died too. (I’m a physician associate). How is the Catholic Church valuing life by not allowing her to abort?? In essence, their view condemns all 3 lives to death. And in my opinion the only life worth condemning is the rapist stepfather because once a child molester, always a child molester! And what he did to a 9yo girl for THREE YEARS is a disgusting sin.
Posted by Mmaw | December 12, 2013, 1:58 AMThis is a messed up situation. I am pro life.. and I do think the twins have a right to live. but, since this is so messed up.. it’s kind of hard for me to say that they did. because, she had a right to live as well. This is just oh so sad. and by the way, “Dingo”.. at 4 months it is more than just a “clump of cells”. A four month old fetus can hear voices from outside, sleeps, dreams, breathes, they can kick, do somersaults, and grasp with their hands. It is a BABY.
Posted by Brianna | February 7, 2013, 4:58 PMNo, its not a baby. Its a fetus. At 4 months the fetus isnt viable (ie if it was born, it wouldn’t survive) and it still cant feel pain…so It is NOT YET a baby. Get that through your thick skull you righteous bitch. FUCK i tire of you people.
Posted by Kam | December 11, 2013, 4:35 PMThe twin fetuses would’ve died inside this undeveloped 9yo little girls body. It’s hard for an ADULT female body to carry twins, absolutely no way a 9yo can carry twins to term. The abortion was done because the fetuses would’ve died, and the 9yo could’ve died also. The doctor did the right thing to save the 9yo’s life. (I’m a physician associate). I’m pro life also, but carrying to term in this case would not have been possible.
Posted by mmaw | December 12, 2013, 3:18 AMAtheists are not the “most intelligent people ever” as a whole. If you don’t start believing the in God who created you, you’ll regret your life here on earth.
Posted by Bree | February 7, 2013, 5:00 PMWell I agree that Atheists aren’t the most intelligent people ever but you’re still and an intolerant ass. Congratulations on perpetuating the idea that Christians are bigots.
Posted by NoneYa | December 11, 2013, 12:48 PMLOL!! hahaha. Wow. Hahaha. I love it! Funniest thing i have read all day!
Posted by Cam | December 11, 2013, 4:36 PMBelieving in God is not the issue here. The issue is the Catholic Church excommunicated an innocent child who was a victim of a heinous crime and sin, while still allowing a serial child rapist to be part of the church community. Can you not see the ridiculousness in that?
Posted by mmaw | December 12, 2013, 3:12 AMThe twin fetuses have the right to live as well and it is always better if the babies born of this be given up for adoption after birth rather killing them outright. Yes, the girl has the right to live but to right a wrong by an even greater wrong is not the best of things to do. Excommunication is the action for deliberate abortion. The girl’s life ( and we are not talking about future social possibilities) is not threatened by the pregnancy. The rape was a heinous crime and the man is going to be put on trial and punished through secular law but the church does not excommunicate a person for rape. To equate excommunication with secular punishment is a misguided argument. The church is right in this case for it answers to God.
Posted by Maxwell Sim | February 7, 2013, 6:06 PMThe girl life was not in danger !? Did you do any actual resource (if u did I like to hear it ) or just pull that “info” out of a hat
She was a 8 year old girl (aka highly dought she’s close to full grown) carrying twins,that 2 fetish, and it was a emergence abortion .
If its a emergence proseger that prob mean there was a reason it was a emergence
Posted by Fie | March 30, 2013, 12:25 AMHow do you know the 9yo girls life wasn’t threatened by the twin pregnancy? Are you a doctor? Because I am a physician associate and a 9yo not yet fully developed female cannot physically carry twins to term. Most likely they will die, and good chance 9yo would too. Performing the abortion saved the 9yo girls life. It’s ironic that Catholics value the lives of unborn fetuses, but not so much the lives of young children. Catholic priests aren’t excommunicated when they rape & molest little boys, they’re just moved to another parish to do the same to other kids. Thou shall not covet thy neighbors wife, and thou shall not commit adultery, but thou can rape small children & still remain in the church community.
This article said the abortion was to save the life of the 9yo because she was going to have twins! A 9yo’s body can’t hold twin babies, those babies would’ve died, and the 9yo girl could’ve died too. How is the Catholic Church valuing life by not allowing her to abort?? In essence, their view condemns all 3 lives to death.
Posted by mmaw | December 12, 2013, 3:00 AMThor told me to beat papist priests with hammers because the god of the bible is Loki – the Sower of Strife.
Only an evil god would support baby rape and that’s what the catholic priests do – hence they are evil.
Posted by Magnus Thorson | February 7, 2013, 9:00 PMPeople standing behind some fiction book and thinking it gives them the right to judge others makes me sick… and no, Im not talking about scientology. Poor little girl who has to go through all that and THEN you expect her to also go through a pregnancy and birth/ c section. What a joke.
Posted by doug | February 8, 2013, 2:36 AMSo saving an innocent girl’s life is more deserving of excommunication than raping her.
Fucking disgusting.
Posted by Nope | February 8, 2013, 8:09 AMwhy does the church think that 9 year-old rape victim, that poor, innocent girl, does not deserve to be protected??? what is the logic behind this? someone please answer!! that 9 year-old kid has been sexually abused since she was 6 and nobody thinks that her innocent life should be protected!!!! the only explanation I can think of is that those people who decided to excommunicate the mother and the doctors are mentally sick people.
Posted by be | December 11, 2013, 11:19 PMTotally agree. Catholicism as a religion is ironic and farcical in so many ways. Human decency and being a good person should always come first over religious creed.
Posted by mmaw | December 12, 2013, 3:05 AM