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Italy OKs RU-486; Vatican Threatens Excommunications

By M. Morris,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 31, 2009 1:37 PM CDT

(Newser) – Italy has legalized the abortion drug RU-486, drawing the ire of the Vatican, which threatened to excommunicate doctors who prescribe the medication and women who take it. A church official said using the pill is "a sin in a moral and juridical sense," but a politician who is also a gynecologist hailed yesterday's decision, telling ANSA, "It's above all a victory for Italian women, who from today have more choice."

The Italian Drug Agency tacitly took note of the controversy in its ruling, which read in part, "The task of protecting the well-being of citizens must take precedence over personal convictions," the AP reports. Drugstores still can't dispense RU-486, which must be administered by a doctor in a hospital. Over the Vatican's objections, Italy legalized abortion in 1978. The so-called morning-after pill has been in legal use since 2000.

An aerial view of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
An aerial view of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.   (AP Photo)
The Italian agency that regulates pharmaceuticals has approved the use of the abortion pill known as RU-486, seen here as Mifeprex.
The Italian agency that regulates pharmaceuticals has approved the use of the abortion pill known as RU-486, seen here as Mifeprex.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
wwwonderer
Aug 3, 2009 4:05 AM CDT
I was going to leave a similar reply. Excommunicated from what? It's 2009 what exactly WILL the excommunicated be missing out on other than ignorance and pedophilia, like you said, but you forgot one important one:the collection plate!!
tran_tor
Aug 3, 2009 2:47 AM CDT
The Church has every right to decide who can or cannot be members of their congregations. Those who scream choice are speaking a bit hypocritically.
Derni
Aug 1, 2009 1:39 AM CDT
Looks like the RC population will go way down if the guy in white robes keeps excommunications going! They only allow The Natural Rythm Method for Birth Control! HELLO!! Its 2009 and science has made advances than religion...

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