9-year-old-Mother story: Excommunicated!

Just a few hours ago I commented on a report that the Brazil Roman Catholic Church was outraged after a nine-year-old girl, raped by her stepfather, had fallen pregnant with twins, which she had then obviously aborted. Well, there's a new update, one I'm not certain whether to laugh at or start planning a shooting (k-i-d-d-i-n-g): the grand ol' Church has now excommunicated the girl and her mother for the abortion.

Despite the nature of the case, the church had to hold its line against abortion, Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho said in an interview aired Thursday by Globo television.

"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. The adults who approved, who carried out this abortion have incurred excommunication."

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

Not to be callous, but ... what are you so shocked about, Minister Temporao? That a cult bent on spreading ignorance and intolerance to garner membership from the masses would expel folks from their ranks for not obeying their ridiculous laws/guidelines/whatever? I'm actually disappointed that I didn't see this coming myself, I'm usually good at predicting this stuff.

Anyway, I'm kinda torn between outrage and derision at the moment, though I suppose I'll just end up laughing at it like I usually do with these stories. While normally I'd be incensed at the idea of a group or organization expelling someone for doing what they should have done in the first place, I then realize this is the Church we're talking about; not only is it better the less members they have, but then, being outcast from a cult like that ... I can't really see anything overly negative. I just hope the mother and her child see it that way, though – for all I know they could actually want to be a part of the Church, which would make this an even thornier issue than it already is.