San Marino legalizes abortion; Pope, women’s groups disagree

By NICOLE WINFIELD and FRANCESCO FEDELI
Associated Press

SAN MARINO (AP) — Pope Francis has repeated the Catholic stance that abortion is “murder,” a day after the tiny republic of San Marino became the latest Catholic state to legalize the procedure. The measure passed overwhelmingly, getting 77% of the 14,384 votes cast Sunday in the microstate surrounded by Italy. It makes abortion legal in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion would also be legal beyond that point if the woman’s life is in danger or if her physical or psychological health is at risk because of fetal malformations.  The Catholic Church, which holds that human life begins at conception and that all life must be protected, strongly opposed the ballot measure, while women’s rights groups cheered the results.