Archbishop Rino Fisichella
Posted on 01/24/2009 10:50:25 AM PST by Kaslin
ROME: A senior Vatican official on Saturday attacked US President Barack Obama for "arrogance" for overturning a ban on state funding for family-planning groups that carry out or facilitate abortions overseas.
It is "the arrogance of someone who believes they are right, in signing a decree which will open the door to abortion and thus to the destruction of human life," Archbishop Rino Fisichella was quoted as saying by the Corriere della Sera daily.
Fisichella is president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, one of a number of so-called pontifical academies which are formed by or under the direction of the Holy See.
"What is important is to know how to listen... without locking oneself into ideological visions with the arrogance of a person who, having the power, thinks they can decide on life and death," he added.
Obama signed the executive order cancelling the eight-year-old restrictions on Friday, the third full day of his presidency.
The so-called "global gag rule" cut off US funding to overseas family planning clinics which provide any abortion services whatsoever, from the operation itself to counselling, referrals or post-abortion services.
"If this is one of the first acts of President Obama, with all due respect, it seems to me that the path towards disappointment will have been very short," Fisichella said.
"I do not believe that those who voted for him took into consideration ethical themes, which were astutely left aside during the election debate. The majority of the American population does not take the same position as the president and his team," he added.
The order won Obama praise from Democratic lawmakers, family planning and women's rights groups but drew angry condemnation from pro-life organisations and Republicans.
More than 250 health and human rights organisations from around the world sent Obama a letter, thanking him for ending a policy "which has contributed to the deaths and injuries of countless women and girls."
Arrogant? Who? What!?!? Obama? Arrogant?
Clearly they don’t believe he is the Messiah. They’re so out of touch. /s
Noooooo... say it isn't so.
to the theme of the carpenters “it’s only just begun...”
No Archbishop it is not arrogance. It is evil.
Talk about stating the obvious!
Ordering those who consider the killing of an innocent unborn baby to participate in and pay for that murder is arrogant? Clearly the archbishop needs some sensitivity training. He's only saying this because he's racist.
You have to look over these people they are stupid since they are liberal only know how to follow the devils..Most do not know how to read so can’t understand how to take a pill or to use a condom..They only know if the need to get ride of a baby they just have to go and have it sucked out of their body..no reading or worry they can keep acting like alley cats and screw anything since their savior(Obama) will help them murder the tiny baby ..
Zero is just saving women from punishment. He’s only killing babies. Lighten up. s/o
This is very good to hear from a senior Vatican official. I hope the Vatican will continue pointing out the obvious evil as the Obamessiah marches America towards a cliff.
Some old reporter has just got to give Zobama the opening to say he’s “bigger than Jesus”.
Boomer’s know what I mean...
This decision to fund foreign abortions will meld directly into his overall agenda which includes the so-called Freedom of Choice Act which will dove-tail with this funding issue by removing most all of the restrictions to abortion we have fought over 20 years to implement.
We must oppose this with everything we can muster.
Shortly after President Bush took office, he waged war against the terrorists that seek to kill our children. This war has saved millions of innocent lives.
Shortly after Obama takes office, he surrenders the War on Terror, and immediately issues a Fatwa against innocent and helpless unborn children. By his hand, millions will die.
Now THERE’S “change”.
So-called? Why are they "so-called"? Either this writer is implying they are nothing of the sort, or he doesn't know what the meaning of the word "academy" is. I smell an anti-Catholic bias.
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