If I had to defend lurch, I would couch my defense in these terms: "he DID believe it is always gravely immoral (except in self-defense of the mother...life of the mother), but he would not impose that view on others."
Check this out http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1246450/posts
Second, these Catholics are providing substantial assistance for women to obtain abortions by influencing public policy to make abortions legal, and to keep abortions legal, and to broaden access to abortion. Those who provide such substantial assistance commit a mortal sin and incur a sentence of automatic excommunication (canon 1398).
This is what I was taught and in contrast to what sinkspur has said in this thread, substantial assistance is not to be so narrowly interpreted as merely being a doctor or nurse associated with a particular procedure.
Correct--but it's immaterial. His voting record incurs the latae sententiae (and if necessary, the paperwork/formal) excommunication.
It's the ACTION, not the rhetoric.
Tomas Torquemada Gentlemen's Club will allow your representation of Lurch. Prepare hard and don't be real disappointed if you "lose" a client in a bonfire.
That's the great thing. The closing paragraph reads, "[I]f a Catholic supports a civil right to an abortion, ...he or she commits heresy,...[and] is automatically excommunicated." There are a lot more fancy words, legal and Church wise, but that's the gist of it.