Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mar 16, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Catholics for a Free Choice is releasing the results of a poll in Brazil which, according to the feminist pro-abortion group, allegedly shows popular support for abortion, but which in reality does not shed any new light on the debate surrounding the legalization of the practice in that country.
According to CFC, the latest poll by Ibope on abortion reveals that “the majority of Brazilian Catholics are in favor of abortion in cases of life of the mother” and they want the Church to reverse its position on contraception and condoms.
“The poll was surprisingly positive. Catholics had a more liberal position than Brazilians in general. Today we have a Catholic Church trying to influence public policy when its own base does not follow these positions. In whose name is the hierarchy speaking?” asked CFC director Dulce Xavier.
Among those polled by Ibope who said they were Catholics, 82% said they were in favor of abortion in cases of life of the mother—even though modern medicine has all but eliminated such cases—80% said they supported abortion in cases of deformity and 67% were in favor for cases of rape and incest.