Hospital Aborts Child to Save Life Loses Church Backing

By Christopher Walker
Dec 22 2010

St. Josephs Hospital in Arizona received word today that they were no longer affiliated with the Catholic Church after a Bishop excommunicated the facility for performing an abortion to save the life of the mother.

The abortion in question was performed in 2009 and was necessary to save the life of the young mother. The pregnancy was just 11 weeks along and the mother was suffering from several conditions that were brought on by the pregnancy. The doctors made the decision to abort despite the fact that the hospital was affiliated with the Catholic Church.

The Bishop of Arizona announced the outcome of their investigation today. The church agreed to investigate the issue before making a final decision, but still ruled in favor of the excommunication for the facility.

The Catholic Church has a hard-line rule on abortions, far more strict than other Christian based associations. Some churches have allowed abortions to become part of their faith if the pregnancy presents a health risk to the mother. However, the Catholic Church is not willing to bend on the issue.

The Bishop also chose to excommunicate the doctor who performed the life saving procedure. After being excommunicated the doctor will no longer be allowed to join or worship in a Catholic Church.

This has brought to the front lines the ethical dilemma that many doctors face on a daily basis. Faith and saving lives often do not coincide with one another.