Something about our faith 2 一些关乎信仰的事 2

我在三月十日题目“一些关乎信仰的事”的贴子里，提到的是一位资深梵蒂冈神职人员声援一位巴西主教对一位母亲及数位医生发出的绝罚**行动。这位母亲准许她的一位九岁女儿，因被继父强奸怀孕而堕胎*。而医生们是因为考量了该女孩会有生命的危险，而决定为她进行堕胎。

当地的总主教在宣布了绝罚的决定后说："天主的法律至高无上。当人的法律与天主的法律发生相对时，人的法律是毫无价值的“。

他的行动受到梵蒂冈主教团的领导人及负责南美洲事务的利枢机主教的支持。

在三月十五号，梵蒂冈教廷生命学院的领导人费西卡拉总主教在一份梵蒂冈的报纸中，发言挺巴西为那九岁的女童堕胎的医生们的决定。他辩驳在这样的情况之下，必须以仁慈的情怀，尊重这些天主教徒医生的痛苦决定。他也强烈的抨击圣职同袍们，选择公开的羞辱这位母亲及医生们。

他也批评当地的巴西总主教操之过急的绝罚决定是”很不幸的伤害到了天主教的教导的可信度，并在许多人的眼中，沦为不够体谅，不全面及缺乏仁爱". (来自天主教ICN新闻）

最终我们才听到了像人说的话。这才是天主教会慈悲的一面。


*绝罚是天主教会的最严重处罚，就是被赶出教会，和教会断绝来往。
**堕胎是天主教徒的大罪（违抗天主的诫命）


My blog posting " Something about our faith" on March 10 was about a senior Vatican cleric defended the excommunication of the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old girl who had an abortion* in Brazil after allegedly being raped by her stepfather.

The regional archbishop, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, who pronounced the excommunication** said: "God's law is above any human law. So when a human law ... is contrary to God's law, this human law has no value,"

His action was supported by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the Catholic church's Congregation for Bishops, who also heads the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

On March 15, in a statement in the Vatican newspaper, Archbishop Fisichella, head of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, came out to defend the doctors who performed the abortion on the raped 9 year-old girl. He argued for a sense of "mercy" in such cases and respect for the Catholic doctors' wrenching decision, and strongly criticised fellow churchmen who singled out the doctors and mother for public condemnation.

He also criticised the Brazilian archbishop's quick proclamation of excommunication as "unfortunately hurts the credibility of our teaching, which appears in the eyes of many as insensitive, incomprehensive and lacking mercy." (from ICN)

At last we are hearing "human words" (人话）. This is the compassionate face of the church.

* Abortion is a mortal sin (a great sin against the law of God).
** Excommunication is a suspension of membership... in exile.