'Gruesome procedure'
Partial-birthabortion case argued WASHINGTON (CNS) — In its first major abortion case in eight years, the Supreme Court April 25 took up the question of whether state laws outlawing one type of abortion are constitutional. Arguing in defense of his state 's law prohibiting what is known as partial-birth abortion , Nebraska Attorney General Donald Stenberg described the issue before the court as about defining the "bright line between abortion and infanticide. " Q Several justices , while referring to the late-term procedure as "gruesome ," seemed most troubled by how the is, state legislature defined what it outlawed. 5 They questioned whether the defini| s tion was so broad that other types of abortion > ca would be considered to be illegal because of the vagueness, and whether there was a coma: a. pelling state interest in banning one abortion procedure. Several exchanges between the justices and the attorneys focused on legal points such as whether an exception should have been included in the law permitting partialbirth abortions in case of a health risk to the mother. They also questioned whether the federal court was justifi ed in interpreting state laws in conflict with how the state attorneys general read their own laws, which they helped draft.
i
Oils blessed and prie stl y vows renewed at Chrism Mass
PARTIAL, page 10 By Patricia Zapor
Maryknoll Father Martin Keegan p r a y soutside the U.S. Supreme Court building April25 while, below, Daniel Martino, a self-described pro-life missionary,protestspartial birth abortion. Inside, justiceswere hearing arguments challenging a Nebraska law prohibiting partial-birthabortion. CNS PHOTOS BY MARTIN LUEDERS
It is cearth day' all y e a rlong at San Domenico