Abortion have been specifically and persistently condemned by the Church since the first century . " Formal cooperation " in abortion incur the penalty of excommunication " by the very commission of the offense " ( Lat. latae sententiae , " sentence [ already , i.e. automatically ] passed " ) . The Catechism emphasize that this penalty is not meant to restrict mercy , but that it make clear the gravity of the crime and the irreparable harm done to the child , its parents and society . " Formal cooperation " in abortion extend not just to the mother who freely submit , but also to the doctor , nurses and anyone who directly aid in the act . The Church have ministries of reconciliation , such as Project Rachel , for those who sincerely repent of their sin of formal cooperation in abortion .