Brazilian bishops pen memorial in support of babies with anencephaly

Brasilia, Brazil, Mar 2, 2009 / 13:44 pm

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Brazil have sent a letter to Supreme Court Minister Carmen Lucia reaffirming their defense of the lives of babies who suffer from anencephaly. The letter comes in response an announcement from the National Confederation of Health Care Workers, which recently said it supports abortion in such cases.

 

In their letter, the bishops recalled that babies with anencephaly enjoy human dignity from the moment of conception and therefore must be guaranteed the right to life, in accord with the fundamental principles spelled out in Brazil’s Constitution.

 

Biologist Lenise Garcia of the University of Brasilia said during the presentation of the bishops’ letter that it is likely that the Supreme Court would not rule on the legalization of abortion in cases of anencephaly until it decides if Judge Marco Aurelio Mello will be allowed to decide the case.

 

Currently, Brazil’s Attorney General is deciding whether or not a conflict of interest exists for Judge Aurelio Mello because he has publicly expressed his support for abortion. Under Brazilian law abortion is a crime.