Abortion and conscientious objection: the new battleground

This paper examines the vexed issue of conscientious objection and abortion. It begins by outlining the increasing claims to conscientious objection invoked by physicians in reproductive health services. After an examination of developments overseas, the paper turns to the acrimonious debate in Victoria concerning the conscience clause and the 'obligation to refer' contained in the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 (Vic) ('ALRA'). This paper questions the interpretation by the Catholic Church that the clause breaches its right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. We argue that the unregulated use of conscientious objection impedes women's rights to access safe lawful medical procedures. As such, we contend that a physician's withdrawal from patient care on the basis of conscience must be limited to certain circumstances. The paper then examines international and national guidelines, international treaties and recommendations of treaty monitoring bodies, laws in other jurisdictions, and trends in case law. The purpose of this examination is to show that the conscientious objection clause and the 'obligation to refer' in ALRA is consistent with international practice and laws in other jurisdictions. Finally, the paper turns to the problematic interpretation of conscience and moral responsibility in the context of abortion. We believe that narrow interpretations of conscience must be challenged, in order to incorporate patients' rights to include the choice of abortion and other lawful treatments according to their conscience. We conclude that the conscientious objection provisions in ALRA have achieved the right balance and that there is no justifiable legal reason upon which opponents can challenge the law.

The international legal status of the Vatican/Holy See complex

This article offers a re-examination of the international legal status of what is here termed the Vatican/Holy See complex (VHS), focusing on claims to statehood. The problematic ‘effect’ of Vatican City, of the Holy See, of the papacy and of associated entities is interrogated at the level of international law, entering as little as possible into administrative or theological distinctions. The various grounds cited as supporting status amounting to statehood are argued to be inadequate. The continuing exchange of representatives with states by the VHS is missionary and hierarchical in character and is reflective neither of the reciprocity of peers nor of customary obligation going to law. Agreements entered into by the papacy with the Kingdom of Italy (the Lateran Pacts) in 1929, relating to the status of the geographical territory known as Vatican City, cannot be determinative of international status. Nor can membership of international agreements and organizations confer a status amounting to statehood. Events and practices since 1929 have not substantially altered international status as of 1870. The Roman Catholic Church is but one of many faith-based international movements, and since the eclipse of the papal state nearly one-and-a-half centuries ago, the status in international law of its temporal headquarters in Rome should not be privileged.

Carismáticos luteranos e católicos : uma abordagem comparativa da performance dos rituais

Esta dissertação procura compreender como a performance ritual contribui na elaboração e sustentação do ethos carismático em duas distintas instituições religiosas: a Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil e a Igreja Católica Apostólica Romana. Para isso, procuro verificar que recursos de performance são acionados no ritual de cada um destes grupos carismáticos. Centro a análise na compreensão de como os artificios da performance agem sobre os participantes do ritual. A fim de alcançar este entendimento, são usados os pressupostos de teorias sobre ritual e performance. Além de estudar o fenômeno supracitado nas duas igrejas separadamente, esta dissertação propõe uma análise comparativa entre as mesmas. O trabalho foi construído com base na pesquisa etnográfica realizada junto a comunidades carismáticas das instituições religiosas em referência, situadas em algumas cidades da Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre.

Alceu Amoroso Lima e o regime militar: 1964-1968

Este trabalho busca analisar um breve, mas rico, período da trajetória de Alceu Amoroso Lima, ou Tristão de Athayde, seu pseudônimo, considerado um dos principais pensadores católicos do século XX. Os anos compreendidos entre 1964 e 1968 servem como um ensaio para aquela que chamamos aqui de fase de radicalização, quando o escritor, por meio de seus artigos publicados semanalmente no Jornal do Brasil, desfere duras críticas ao regime militar implantado em 1964. Durante estes anos, a política, que sempre permeou seus livros e colunas nos jornais, passa a ser a tônica de tudo o que escreve, junto com os acontecimentos que marcaram a Igreja Católica e a sociedade brasileira. A análise desta pesquisa é feita tendo como fontes principais as cartas trocadas diariamente entre o jornalista e sua filha, madre Maria Teresa, e os artigos que publicava semanalmente no Jornal do Brasil. Também foram realizadas entrevistas com personalidades que conviveram com Alceu e analisadas entrevistas concedidas por ele e depois publicadas em livros.

Empresa e Comunidade: Responsabilidade Social, Sobrevivência, Produtividade e Imagem Institucional

Inicialmente, faz-se um convite para um passeio na história, observando-se as relações sócio-econômicas na sociedade ocidental, a partir do Império Romano até os primórdios do capitalismo, com a finalidade de identificar sob a responsabilidade de quem estava o bem-estar das comunidades, o permite registrar que essa responsabilidade foi conduzida pelas mãos da igreja, reis, confrarias e pelo Estado, e esteve sempre associada às entidades que detinham o poder. Uma vez feito isso, passa-se ao contexto atual, para entender a maneira com que o poder econômico , mais especificamente as companhias produtoras de bens e serviços, participa da responsabilidade social pelo desenvolvimento das comunidades nas quais estão situadas as unidades de produção e as conseqüências dessa participação para a imagem e sobrevivência das empresas. Finalmente, através da pesquisa de campo realizada na Refinaria de Duque de Caxias do Sistema Petrobras ¿ REDUC, examina-se na prática, a relação estabelecida entre a empresa e a comunidade local, ressaltando as motivações que levam a companhia a empreender-se socialmente, através de estratégias e planos de ação compatíveis com os interesses do seu próprio negócio.

Gestão democrática do ensino público: como se traduz este princípio?

Este trabalho se propõe constituir uma sistematização sobre o princípio da gestão democrática do ensino público contemplado na nova Constituição brasileira de 1988 e remetido a lei ordinária para sua regulamentação. Trata-se de um estudo sobre as várias percepções - o que as entidades da sociedade organizada na área de educação possuem sobre gestão dernocrática - e de uma análise desse princípio no projeto de Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional. da Comissão de Educação, Cultura e Desporto da Câmara dos Deputados, aprovado em junho de 1990.

De escola paroquial a escola pública: o significado da escola no desenvolvimento de Sananduva/RS

A escola, como instituição social presente em Sananduva/RS, ê vista integrando-se no contexto sócio-econômico de dois períodos históricos que se sucedem: 1898-1926 e 1927-55. O significado desta instituição, nesta região. durante o transcurso destes dOj5 períodos históricos traduz os interesses do Estado, Igreja e Colonos em torno da educação. O papel predominante de um ou de outro destes agentes na orientação do processo educacional levou a instituição escolar a apresentar, sucessivamente significados diferentes. Nos primórdios do povoamento da região (1898- 1927) colocada, especialmente a serviço da Igreja e dos Colonos caracterizou-se como instrumento de preservação do patrimônio religioso-cultural destes Colonos. Ap5s trinta, tanto serviu ao Estado, quanto à Igreja e aos Colonos. Tornou-se a escola de "todos". Passou, por esta razão a evidenciar, de modo particular, o seu caráter de "escola pública".

Nego veio é um sofrer : uma etnografia da subalternidade e do subalterno numa irmandade do Rosário

The object of this work is a fellowship of São Sebastião e Nossa Senhora do Rosário in the city of Jardim do Seridó (RN), that is, a black catholic fellowship on the sertão potiguar. The devotion to Nossa Senhora do Rosário, in colonial Brazil, organizes itself through black catholic men as fellowships. They blossomed in Brazil until the abolition, getting support from the Catholic church, from owners of slaves and from the population in general − unlike others afro-Brazilian religious expression. Today, these fellowships remain active, against the sentimental pessimism of the folklore studies, and they also have a highlight position in the calendar of many cities in Brazil, and in particular in Seridó. The research s foothold is the apparent valorization of the fellowship by the local elite, attitude that hides asymmetric relationships between the group of negros do Rosário and the local authorities, having as its consequence that the members occupy a subaltern position inside their own fellowship. This subalternity take place, mainly, in the public area, where the negros do Rosário cannot represent themselves neither political nor discursively. To discuss this idea, it s done a brief historical of these catholic institutions as well as a description of the relationship between the negros do Rosário and the elites of the city. Then, the phenomenon is analyzed as folklore and/or religion , under the perspective of many agents that participate in this process. In other moment, it is going to be presented how the group formulates their own representation of the history, of the devotional forms and of their own political-religious experiences. In this sense, an ethnography of the subalternity is understood as an analysis of the process that leads the negros do Rosário to become a subaltern group. It s also outlined the perception that the group has of its own position, through an ethnography essay of the subaltern subject. The research, focused in the group of Rosário, was done between August 2010 and January 2012 and includes other agents (like treasurers, priests and intellectuals). Besides that, as a methodological complement, there are documental research, photography, as well as shoots of the party days and public presentation

Dos direitos da personalidade e a lei de doação de órgãos: o que há para cartografar?

This study aimed at examining the representation and the level of knowledge as well as getting acquainted whether there had been significant divergence among three social groups of 3rd year Law students, 7th period Medical students at UFPB and a group of people from the Catholic Church in vila dos pescadores in João Pessoa - about organ donation, transplant law and ethical issues that raise questions. In order to accomplish the qualitative analysis, Bardin´s content analysis technique was applied in conjunction with the Chisquare test which was applied with significance level of 5% to quantitative data. The data revealed that most informants agree with organ donation, Although they are not acquainted with the law of transplants, and with the lack of confidence in the single list of recipients. The problem is that there is an encouragement to trades with organs and the possibility of any person legally authorized to donate organs in life. The statistically significant difference was observed in only two questions, ie, in response to the confidence in the diagnosis of brain death: 64% of 7th period Medical students at UFPB trust this diagnosis versus 12% of the evangelizing group of vila dos pescadores. The other difference refers to the answer about the confidence in the single list of recipients: 36% of the 7th period Medical students of UFPB said to trust the list versus 12% of the 3rd law students of UFPB. This is was a multidisciplinary study with Involvement of lawyers and doctors

Capital social e igreja católica :expressões e práticas no sertão do Seridó

It historizes and it analyzes the social capital in the area Seridó. The traditions associative seridoenses are reconstructed starting from the dimensions: economical, social, religious person and politics. In them it is possible to notice actions that form the social capital of the area. The country of Seridó present an associative tradition based on the mutual help, in the trust and reciprocity that she remount there are decades in your history. The relationship among the Catholic Church, that historically it is present in the area, and rural communities, through your community associations, it is the backdrop where you/they are the responsible associative elements for the tear of the regional social fabric: in him (the backdrop) he/she is the responsible social capital for the work of the rural community organizations. The Catholic Church, through your social action and the Program of Combat to the Rural Poverty, of Rio Grande do Norte is the league that sustains the actions collective seridoenses

O parto dos caminhos: Formação dos Sindicatos Rurais no Rio Grande do Norte (1960 - 1964)

The present work treats the movements dedicated to reinvidication per land and social rights for the field works, among 1960 and 1964. Trying to understand this question in the Rio Grande do Norte it is necessary to consider the connection between the catholic church and the rural syndicates besides the influence of the Brazilian communist party, and still other social movements and the state. The structures politics local, national and international, had considerable importance to the organization rural potiguares workers. The rural potiguares syndicate appear in 1961 - after a hard organization work starting of the Service of Rural Assistance - and expand itself through state until the middle of 1962. Soon the first big conflicts an important manifestation are perceive, indirectly referring to a increasing movement's performance. The Favoring Progresses chains co quested a biggest influence in the politics destiny of the Rio Grande do Norte, in front of integration among syndicates, educational projects, and favoring progress's politics. But the military coup hired that the hope overflow the field

A festa do bom Jesus dos navegantes em propriá-se: história de fé, espaço das relações sociais e laços culturais

The study is a survey conducted for the Master of Social Sciences carried out in partnership between the Universidade Tiradentes-UNIT/SE and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Being a religious event, we seek to show that the religious parties generally have particular meanings for each nation or region. Amaral (1998) informs that the Brazilian parties regardless of where they occur are popular demonstrations that, as the context in which they present themselves, can dilute to crystallize, to celebrate, to ritualize or sacralize the particular social experience of the groups that do. They happen as a way to thank victories or important religious passages as Christmas, the June saints celebration, patron saints and patron saints considered. Thus, The Bom Jesus dos Navegantes party in Propriá-SE: story of faith, a space of social relations and cultural ties, is presented as our field of study because it is one of those celebrations that while celebrated in Sergipe, always on Sundays in January, by some municipalities situated along the river San Francisco, has the characteristic of overlap any others placed in town, including the one of the city's patron saint, Saint Anthony, held on June 13. Concerning the materials and methods, we opted for qualitative research and participant direct observation, using the techniques of personal notes, interviews, newspapers, websites, photos, videos and testimonials from participants and organizers, as well as references offered by experts of the area. With this research answers were sought to questions about what could keep alive the celebration of Bom Jesus dos Navegantes each year in order that this is a patron saint, not saint; the way as the investment of local government with more resources in this period, during the organization of arts festivals, has created a thread of tension with the Catholic Church promoting the religious rituals was reviewed. It was also analyzed how the sacred and profane spaces present themselves inseparable from the celebration and, finally, it was revealed that the party retains its value by preserving its tradition and making room for modernity, not weakening but suffering metamorphoses of time and space and can be seen in the social and cultural bonds wrapped by the time of religious faith

Direção espiritual na TV canção nova: análise do discurso do Padre Fábio de Melo

The aim of the research is to analyze Direção Espiritual a TV program produced by Catholic Church and presented by Canção Nova Channel. The program is presented by Father Fábio de Melo, a catholic priest that also is a famous religious singer and writer. The analyses included not only some TV programs, but also interviews with some of the viewers and Fabio de Melo himself. The results points out the emergence in Brazil of a new religious speech from Catholic Church founded in comprehension path, dissociated from punishment and guilty. This religious speech is more like a self help speech rather than a tradicional religious discourse itself, very similar to psychotherapeutic speech. The TV program presented by Fabio de Melo is guided in tiny line of sacre and profane which announces contradictions but also a new blend of religious approach in contemporary days

Evangelizar e politizar :O sentido da atuação da Igreja Católica com os sindicatos dos trabalhadores rurais no Seridó potiguar (1964-1979)

The purpose of this work is to analyze the influence of the Catholic Church on rural worker s union in the Seridó potiguar region between 1964 to 1979. To the work developed by the Church is connected the beginning of worker s union in the Seridó region. In this way, this research tries to understand what is also the politic direction of the labor s union by means of the Cathólic Church that througt a process of creating Leagues have been looking for reinforcing and protecting catholicism as a way of maintaining its believers and distancing them from others movements such as Peasant League and the influence of Brazilian Communist Party. We use as sources oral narratives and newspaper A Folha , wich was published by the Parish Church of Caicó (RN) between 1954 to 1967. Some wrintten documents produced by worker s union from the Seridó region were also used