An interesting wrinkle in the ongoing debate over abortion in Spain:

If King Juan Carlos of Spain signs a new law easing restrictions on abortion, as he is constitutionally required, the country’s bishops will not take action against him, the general secretary of the Spanish bishops’ conference said.

As the law was being debated, Spain’s bishops had said Catholic members of parliament who vote to liberalize abortion would place themselves outside the church and should not receive Communion.

“That his majesty the king must sanction this law with his signature is a unique situation. No other citizen would encounter this,” and so “general principles” cannot be applied, said Auxiliary Bishop Juan Antonio Martinez Camino of Madrid, conference general secretary.

Bishop Martinez spoke to the press at the end of a meeting of the permanent commission of the bishops’ conference Feb. 25, which also was the day after Spain’s Parliament narrowly approved a law easing longstanding restrictions on abortion.

At the link, there’s more background and a fuller explanation.