Pope: Ex-Communication for Pro-Abortion Lawmakers

On his trip to Brazil, Pope Benedict XVI was asked whether he supported Mexican Church leaders threatening to excommunicate leftist Mexican lawmakers who last month voted to legalize abortion. Here's his response:

"Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary one but is allowed by Canon (church) law which says that the killing of an innocent child is incompatible with receiving communion, which is receiving the body of Christ," he said.

"They (Mexican Church leaders) did nothing new, surprising or arbitrary. They simply announced publicly what is contained in the law of the Church ... which expresses our appreciation for life and that human individuality, human personality is present from the first moment (of life)."

Speaking for the Vatican, Fr. Federico Lombardi said that politicians who vote for abortion automatically excommunicate themselves from the Roman Catholic Church.

In effect, Pope Benedict unequivocally reinforced the church doctrine opposing abortion to the many millions of Catholics in Latin America ... if there were any doubt.