Vatican Shuns Amnesty International

The Vatican is calling on Catholics to stop contributing to Amnesty International, a reaction to the human rights group's new stance on abortion. "AI has betrayed its mission," a prominent cardinal said this week, referring to the April announcement that the organization supports access to abortion services in cases involving rape, incest, and risk to the mother's life or health.

Long neutral on the procedure, Amnesty said yesterday it "remains silent on the rights and wrongs of abortion." The head of the Vatican's justice and peace department called for individuals as well as Catholic organizations to withdraw support from the group, which says it does not accept funding from the Vatican or "from any other state." (More Vatican stories.)