This morning, Pope Benedict and his entourage of Vatican officials departed Rome for his trip to Latin America. In his news conference upon take off, the Pontiff stated that he supports excommunication for politicians who backed Mexico City's decision to legalize abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Church doctrine calls for automatic excommunication for anyone procuring an abortion."It's nothing new, it's normal," Benedict said during an airborne news conference aboard the plane carrying him to Brazil on his first pilgrimage to Latin America.
The Rev. Federico Lombardi, SJ, Vatican news director later told reporters that the politicians who voted for abortion had automatically excommunicated themselves by their actions.
Mexican church officials have said that doctors and nurses who performed abortions as well as lawmakers who supported the legalization would be excommunicated. Church teaching also says any woman who get an abortion faces automatic excommunication, meaning the Vatican doesn't have to issue a formal excommunication order.
Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, whose leftist Democratic Revolution Party backed the bill approved by city lawmakers last month, has said he would not be deterred by the church's statements.
Elsewhere in Mexico, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape, danger to the mother's life or severe fetal defects. The only countries in the region that allow abortion are Cuba and Guyana.
Picture from AP via Yahoo News
