Posted on 02/06/2013 7:55:54 AM PST by marshmallow
PARIS (Reuters) - Germany's Catholic Church may approve some so-called morning-after pills for rape victims after a leading cardinal unexpectedly announced they did not induce abortions and could be used in Catholic hospitals.
Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, an ally of German-born Pope Benedict, changed his policy after two Catholic hospitals refused to treat a rape victim because they could not prescribe the pill, which is taken after sex to avoid pregnancy.
The Catholic Church firmly opposes abortion and artificial birth control. Many Catholics see all emergency contraceptives as abortion-inducing drugs banned by this policy, but Meisner said some prevent fertilization and could be used in rape cases.
"The German Bishops' Conference is holding a regular meeting in two weeks and the issue will certainly be on the agenda," Cologne archdiocese spokeswoman Nele Harbeke said on Monday.
"The bishops' conference must in principle agree on a common line."
Meisner, 79, has in the past rejected emergency contraceptives as producing a "just-in-case abortion".
The pills have become a hot issue in the United States as many Catholics oppose President Barack Obama's health reform in part because it mandates Catholic hospitals to provide birth control for female employees.
One pill, marketed as "Plan B" in the United States and based on the synthetic hormone levonorgestrel, is rejected by these critics as an abortifacient, but might meet Meisner's criteria.
The Cologne incident sparked uproar in Germany last month and the cardinal apologized publicly, saying it "shames us deeply because it contradicts our Christian mission and our purpose".
(Excerpt) Read more at au.news.yahoo.com ...
Schism?
Ah yes, those bothersome itty-bitty human-like obligate parasites . . . kill ‘em all. That’s was Jesus would do, right? Rapists go free while unborn babies get “removed” from their God-given sanctuary.
I have a sneaking suspicion that there is much more to this article than meets the eye.
Reuters and the AP are notorious for mis-characterizing statements from religious officials.
What the heck?
I saw a marcher at this years March on Washington who was happy to be alive even though the pregnancy was the result of a rape.
Pope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) will take care of them.
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