 <unk> has been specifically and persistently condemned by the Church since the first century . " Formal cooperation " in abortion <unk> the penalty of excommunication " by the very commission of the offense " ( <unk> <unk> <unk> , " sentence [ already , i.e. automatically ] passed " ) . The Catechism emphasizes that this penalty is not meant to restrict mercy , but that it makes clear the gravity of the crime and the <unk> harm done to the child , its parents and society . " Formal cooperation " in abortion extends not just to the mother who freely <unk> , but also to the doctor , nurses and anyone who directly aids in the act . The Church has <unk> of reconciliation , such as Project Rachel , for those who <unk> <unk> of their sin of formal cooperation in abortion . 
