Posted on 02/28/2010 5:59:21 AM PST by marshmallow
MADRID, Spain (CNS) -- 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.
In a vote of 132-126, members of Parliament passed the law removing all restrictions on abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy and extending legal abortion to 22 weeks of gestation if the life of the mother is at risk or if the fetus shows signs of serious malformations.
Asked repeatedly about church sanctions against the king and against Catholic members of Parliament who voted for the law, Bishop Martinez said the bishops "have excommunicated no one," but those who actively supported the law have seriously separated themselves from the church and should not receive Communion.
The situation of a politician who can vote and the king who must sign the law "are different considerations," he said.
Pro-life Catholics have begun an Internet-based petition drive to convince King Juan Carlos not to sign the law.
"Please, Your Majesty, do not sanction this new holocaust with your signature," the petition said. "Without your signature the law will not go into effect. In this way, the pain and suffering of thousands of women will be avoided and, more importantly, an infinite number of defenseless lives will be saved."
By noon Feb. 26, the Internet site reported receiving almost 57,700 signatures.
The late King Baudouin of Belgium faced a similar dilemma in 1990 when his nation's Parliament passed a bill liberalizing abortion.
Saying his conscience and Catholic faith would not allow him to sign the bill, he worked out an agreement with parliament allowing him to resign for less than 48 hours. During his temporary abdication, the country's council of ministers assumed the king's powers and signed the bill. Parliament then reinstated the king.
Ending their spring meeting Feb. 25, members of the permanent commission of the Spanish bishops' conference said Spain's new law takes "attacks on the life of those about to be born, converting them into a right."
The new law marks "a serious step back in the protection of the right to life" and an abandonment of pregnant women who need assistance and support in bringing their pregnancies to term, the bishops said.
The statement also said the bishops wanted to remind "women tempted to abort or who have already experienced this tragedy that they always will find mercy and comfort in the Catholic community. As a mother, the church understands their problems and will not leave them on their own."
The Supreme Paper-Pusher could resign. Seems a pointless “job” anyway.
And not the Belgian 48-hour cop-out.
Yeah, but the bishops are copping out too. Sigh. I can understand the pressure to cop out—the history of firing squads and nun-raping in Spain is not THAT far in the distant past.
But one can resist temptation and pressure and do the right thing. Still, they ought to focus on “sanctioning” the parliamentarians first and foremost, and after that, the king.
He's probably the one indispensable Spaniard.
He's popular among his subjects and for good reason. He took over as head of state in the newly democratic Spain after years of dictatorship.
Those early years of democracy felt fragile and new. Juan Carlos did a great deal to foster the political reconciliation that has occurred over the past 30 years.
Spaniards who remember the attempted coup in 1981 are still brought to tears recalling the appearance of the King in uniform on TV saying that no totalitarian takeover would ever again be tolerated in Spain.
Plus, he more recently bitch-slapped Hugo Chavez which rates him as a hero in my book.
You nailed it!
“...but those who actively supported the law have seriously separated themselves from the church and should not receive Communion.”
But what if they disagree, and just ignore this statement from the bishop? Abortion is either a big deal or it isn’t.
Freegards
I suppose King Juan Carlos had to say that. But I wonder if the King has ever reflected on what Spain's history would have been like if the Generalissimo had not beaten the Commies in the thirties.
Would the Commies have left in their wake a Spanish Nation which could recover into a Parliamentary system with a figurehead king? Would they not have wiped out Juan's ancestors?
He has the Generals to thank for his very existence, much less his present position.
He shouldn’t be excommunicated, but a public rebuke might be in order.
¿Porqué no te calles, obispo?
This is bad news. 132-126?
The King should slap it down. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg did the same. They might remove his signiture, but I’d bet that the will of the people is behind him and not the legislature.
There is no price put on integrity.
I agree. Although I understand the alternative views, I would like to see him take a stand and let the chips fall where they may. Nobody can predict the future, but he can do the right thing in the present.
A question: Would something similar apply to Roman Catholics who legislate in other countries (such as the USA)?
Yes, it would. This includes Pelosi, Kerry, et al.
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