Thanks, Betty. I was aware of Francis's "horrendous crime" remark but didn't think he had made it in connection with saving a woman's life.

“Abortion is to throw someone out IN ORDER TO SAVE ANOTHER. That’s what the Mafia does. It is a crime, an absolute evil.”

At the time I interpreted this to mean to save the interests of another, not the survival of a woman in a life-or-death crisis. But your interpretation has every bit as much plausibility as mine.