NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      KARLSRUHE, Germany (CWNews.com) - Germany's Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled that the mainly Catholic state of Bavaria cannot limit the amount doctors can earn from abortions.

      The 1996 Bavarian law was to go into effect last year, but was blocked until the high court could rule on it. The law banned doctors in Bavaria from earning more than 25 percent of their income from performing abortions. Supports of the law said abortionists who are financially dependent on the practice would be less likely to inform pregnant women of other options as required by federal law.

      While the federal law forbids most abortions and requires pre-abortion counseling, the procedure is available practically on demand because mothers or abortionists who ignore the law are never punished. Before reunification in 1990, West Germany had the strongest pro-life laws in western Europe, but restrictions were loosened after the former Communist East Germany rejoined the country.