Nun Excommunicated For Allowing Abortion

Nevyn

when none of the child abusing priests have been excommunicated I can't believe that they have excommunicated this sister of mercy for being merciful and considering the life of this woman who was dying due to the strain on her heart and the lives of the 4 kids she already has.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126985072

ast November, a 27-year-old woman was admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. She was 11 weeks pregnant with her fifth child, and she was gravely ill. According to a hospital document, she had "right heart failure," and her doctors told her that if she continued with the pregnancy, her risk of mortality was "close to 100 percent."

The patient, who was too ill to be moved to the operating room much less another hospital, agreed to an abortion. But there was a complication: She was at a Catholic hospital.

"They were in quite a dilemma," says Lisa Sowle Cahill, who teaches Catholic theology at Boston College. "There was no good way out of it. The official church position would mandate that the correct solution would be to let both the mother and the child die. I think in the practical situation that would be a very hard choice to make."

But the hospital felt it could proceed because of an exception — called Directive 47 in the U.S. Catholic Church's ethical guidelines for health care providers — that allows, in some circumstance, procedures that could kill the fetus to save the mother. Sister Margaret McBride, who was an administrator at the hospital as well as its liaison to the diocese, gave her approval.
Documents
Church Q&A On Abortion, Sister Margaret McBride And Excommunication
Catholic Hospitals Fact Sheet About Abortion

The woman survived. When Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted heard about the abortion, he declared that McBride was automatically excommunicated — the most serious penalty the church can levy.

"She consented in the murder of an unborn child," says the Rev. John Ehrich, the medical ethics director for the Diocese of Phoenix. "There are some situations where the mother may in fact die along with her child. But — and this is the Catholic perspective — you can't do evil to bring about good. The end does not justify the means."

Ehrich adds that under canon or church law, the nun should be expelled from her order, the Sisters of Mercy, unless the order can find an alternative penalty. Ehrich concedes that the circumstances of this case were "hard."

"But there are certain things that we don't really have a choice" about, he says. "You know, if it's been done and there's public scandal, the bishop has to take care of that, because he has to say, 'Look, this can't happen.' "

A Double Standard?

But according to the Rev. Thomas Doyle, a canon lawyer, the bishop "clearly had other alternatives than to declare her excommunicated." Doyle says Olmsted could have looked at the situation, realized that the nun faced an agonizing choice and shown her some mercy. He adds that this case highlights a "gross inequity" in how the church chooses to handle scandal.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, shown here in 2003, declared that McBride was automatically excommunicated because she allowed a patient at a Catholic hospital to get an abortion. But some say her quick punishment stands in stark contrast to the protection many pedophile priests have received from their bishops.


Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, shown here in 2003, declared that McBride was automatically excommunicated because she allowed a patient at a Catholic hospital to get an abortion. But some say her quick punishment stands in stark contrast to the protection many pedophile priests have received from their bishops.

"In the case of priests who are credibly accused and known to be guilty of sexually abusing children, they are in a sense let off the hook," Doyle says.

Doyle says no pedophile priests have been excommunicated. When priests have been caught, he says, their bishops have protected them, and it has taken years or decades to defrock them, if ever.

"Yet in this instance we have a sister who was trying to save the life of a woman, and what happens to her? The bishop swoops down [and] declares her excommunicated before he even looks at all the facts of the case," Doyle says.

Ehrich agrees that sexual abuse can't be tolerated. But he says neither can McBride's actions.

"She said, 'Yes, you can kill that unborn child.' That's a heinous act. And I'm not going to make a distinction between what's worse. They're both abhorrent," Ehrich says.

Ehrich says the nun can be admitted back into the Catholic community by going to confession and repenting. McBride still works at the hospital in another position. Whether she is allowed to remain in her religious order, Erich says that is up to the Sisters of Mercy.

seamus

"There are some situations where the mother may in fact die along with her child. But — and this is the Catholic perspective — you can't do evil to bring about good. The end does not justify the means."

Perfect example of the Catholic hypocrisy. Doing nothing and letting them both die is not evil, but doing something and saving one of them is inherently evil.

The utilitarian/common sense POV says that exactly the right choices were made. A mother of 4 children was saved at the expense of a (presumably, doesn't say how far along she was) non-viable feotus.

It's just another illustration of how far religious doctrine is behind the bare facts of reality.

Nevyn

The artical states she was 11 weeks pregnant so thats a possible 9 weeks developement.

drkpower

seamus wrote: »

Perfect example of the Catholic hypocrisy. Doing nothing and letting them both die is not evil, but doing something and saving one of them is inherently evil.

The utilitarian/common sense POV says that exactly the right choices were made. A mother of 4 children was saved at the expense of a (presumably, doesn't say how far along she was) non-viable feotus.

It's just another illustration of how far religious doctrine is behind the bare facts of reality.

In fairness to them (and I am rarely 'fair' to the RCC;)), I think mainstream RCC teaching would 'permit' an abortion in these circumstances.

prinz

Thaedydal wrote: »

...when none of the child abusing priests have been excommunicated I can't believe that they have excommunicated this sister of mercy....

"They" haven't done anything. It was one bishop who took it upon himself to shoot his mouth off. The Sister can be absolved rather simply. It is not a 'life sentence' of being kicked out of the RCC.

Nevyn

She can't be absolved with out saying it was the wrong call and with out being properly rependent that is to swear she would never do it again.

prinz

Thaedydal wrote: »

She can't be absolved with out saying it was the wrong call and with out being properly rependent that is to swear she would never do it again.

...and what do you think would happen if she would do it again?

Nevyn

That would be her ethical and moral delemia but given that she hasn't gone to confession it would seem that she belives she made the right call.

The_Minister

The nun was automatically excommunicated by her actions - no interference from the hierarchy was needed.

Sorry, for bolding, but that needs to be made clear from the off.
You facilitate an abortion, you are excommunicated even if you cover it up - it is an automatic thing.
No-one sat in judgment over her and kicked her out.

It's called a latae sententiae excommunication


She has to confess, repent and be forgiven, which she probably will be due to the principle of unintended secondary effect, which basically says that you shouldn't kill the foetus directly, but if it dies while you are saving the mother's life - then that's ok.

So, Church is still bad, but not as bad as the op makes out.

johnnyskeleton

Well, she fell in with a bad crowd and I'm glad she has finally left them.