BRASILIA, August 25, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A lower court ruling in Brazil has ruled thatÂa Catholic priest must pay a fineÂfor using the word “pro-abortion” to describe anthropologist Debora Diniz Rodrigues, a renowned defender of abortion. The Catholic News Agency (CNA) reports that last week judges in Brasilia ordered Father Luiz Carlos Lodi da Cruz, president of the Pro-life Association of Anapolis, to pay a fine of $3,000 for damages against Diniz, the director of the Institute on Bioethics, Human Rights and Gender.

The court also ordered Rev. Lodi to refrain from using the word “pro-abortion” to describe those who support abortion. CNA notes that upon hearing the sentence, the Brazilian priest wondered aloud “what adjective should be used then to describe someone who defends abortion, since certainly one who defends divorce is not offended by being called pro-divorce nor is a supporter of Communism by being called a communist.”

“The judges failed to indicate which word in our language is acceptable, and has the same meaning but is non-offensive, for describing someone who openly defends abortion.” Father Lodi said.

An appeal of the ruling was stuck down leaving only an appeal to the Supreme Court.Â