Madam Chair, we have all heard about this situation in recent weeks. The story made headlines around the world. Many people have criticized the Vatican's position. The Vatican stated that even though the situation was unusual, abortion automatically meant excommunication. The Vatican did not condemn the fact that these people were excommunicated, but the fact that the events were made public. The story made headlines around the world. I find this deplorable. The life of a little nine-year-old girl is threatened, and it is implied that her life is less important than the life of the fetus she is carrying. I believe that her life is very important, and I find it unfortunate that this nine-year-old girl, her mother and the members of the medical team were excommunicated.
No matter what church officials said, the Vatican, through Monsignor Fisichella, stated that performing an abortion meant automatic excommunication. The Vatican did not feel that this automatic decision should be so widely publicized. What the Vatican condemned was the fact that Monsignor Cardoso Sobrinho talked to the press about it. That is abominable.