The Catholic Church in Cataluña has started the process to excommunicate a popular priest in the region, Manel Pousa, known popularly as Pare Manel, who helped a young woman to abort.
The case came to light when the priest spoke about the episode in a recent biography, justifying his actions as being taken to stop the woman bleeding.
But the Barcelona Archbishopric is not impressed by the story and have opened an investigation following a meeting of the priest with Cardinal Archbishop, Lluís Martínez Sistach, on Monday.
Canon law says that helping a woman to abort is punishable by excommunication, but says that previously an investigation must be carried out to verify the facts.
