Declaring that "life must always be protected", a senior Vatican cleric has defended the Catholic Church’s decision to excommunicate the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old rape victim who had a life-saving abortion in Brazil.

Yes, you got that right.  Cardinal Giovanni Batista Re said that even though the girl was nine years old, pregnant with twins, and, oh YEAH, those twins were there because her stepfather may have been sexually abusing her for several years, the fetuses were the top priority.  Nothing like someone who has their priorities straight.

And here’s the kicker.

The unnamed girl’s mother and doctors were excommunicated for agreeing to Wednesday’s emergency abortion yet the Church has not taken formal steps against the stepfather, who is in custody. Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, the conservative regional archbishop for Pernambuco where the girl was rushed to hospital, has said that the man would not be thrown out of the Church, because although he had allegedly committed "a heinous crime", the Church took the view that "the abortion, the elimination of an innocent life, was more serious". (emphasis added)

Whuh?

Oh, and to top off the festival of assholery, the guy may also have been abusing his other stepdaughter, who is 14 and disabled.

This guy, if there is any justice, will rot in a deep, dark corner of Hell.

Even the President, Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, has waded into the row. "As a Christian and a Catholic, I deeply regret that a bishop of the Catholic Church has such a conservative attitude," he said "The doctors did what had to be done: save the life of a girl of nine years old. In this case, the medical profession was more right than the Church."

May I just say, right on, sir.

For severe assholery and refusal to compromise in the face of child rape, I hereby award the Idiots Abroad Award to the Catholic Church.

Mal: Fully loaded, safety off. This here is a recipe for unpleasantness. [to Simon] Does she understand that?

River: She understands. She doesn’t comprehend.

Mal: Well, I’m glad we’ve made that distinction.” -Firefly

Book: This should do.

Zoe: Preacher, don’t the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killing?

Book: Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.”

-Firefly

“(Wash is playing with plastic dinosaurs.)

Wash: (as Stegosaurus) Yes…yes. This is a fertile land, and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land, and we will call it…this land. (as Allosaur) I think we should call it your grave! (as Stegosaurus) Ah! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! (as Allosaur) Ha ha ha! Mine is an evil laugh! Now DIE! (as Stegosaurus) Oh no, God, oh dear God in heaven…”

(Source: Wikiquote)

I’m not going to overreact and spout drivel about Iran being an existential threat to the United States.  For frack’s sake, we don’t need any help threatening our continued existence.  Even so.  This is Not Cool.  According to the non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists, Iran was, as of December 1, 2008:

the world’s sixth-leading jailer of journalists.

The countries that are worse than Iran?  China, Cuba, Burma, Eritrea and Uzbekistan.  Yes, Iran is in some very savory company there, eh?