Vatican Cardinal Fears Church Will be Brought before Int'l Court for Defense of Life & Family

LifeSite ^ | June 28, 2006 | John-Henry Westen

[NYer]

VATICAN CITY, June 28, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an interview published in the June 27 issue of Famiglia Christiana magazine, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, said that those involved in embryonic stem cell research which kills human embryos are excommunicated.

In a wide-ranging interview about the Fifth World Meeting of Families, due to be held in Valencia, Spain from July 1 to 9, the Cardinal was asked about excommunication, first in the case of abortion.  He responded that the doctors, the nurses and the mother involved all incur excommunication.  He added that the the father also was excommunicated if he agreed with the procedure.

Asked if that excommunication also applied to those who do embryonic stem cell research, the Cardinal responded, "Sure. It is the same thing. To destroy the embryo is equivalent to abortion."  He added that the excommunication applies to parents, doctors and investigators "who eliminate the embryo."

Speaking about politicians who support abortion, Cardinal Trujillo said that they should "not approach the Eucharist." 

He noted that he was expressly asked by the Pope to explain such things to politicians; adding that "sometimes they change their minds."

Ominously the Cardinal warned during the interview that the Vatican fears that the Church will one day be brought "in front of some international Court" if more radical demands are listened to.  He explained that "speaking in defense of the life and for the rights of the family is becoming in some societies a type of crime against the State, a form of disobedience to the Government, a discrimination against women."

See the full interview in Famiglia Cristiana (in Italian):
http://www.sanpaolo.org/fc/0627fc/0627fc44.htm

[NYer]

It's worth noting that the Vatican's main allies in its long and often lonely fight with the UN to stop abortion being enshrined as a universal human right, have been Muslim nations.

Thanks for the post ... I wasn't aware of this. May Our Lady of Fatima intervene on behalf of us all.

[SaltyJoe]

There's not a thing that the Vatican should worry about concerning courts and demands from demons or their mortal slaves.

http://www.kino.com/theninthday/

[presently no screen name]

Cardinal warned during the interview that the Vatican fears that the Church will one day be brought "in front of some international Court"

Fear is the absence of faith. God's Word says, you have what you say. Dear Cardinal please demonstrate more faith and say "No weapon formed against me shall prosper". You serve a mighty God. If God is for you, who can be against you! Take a mighty stance for The Kingdom!

[Rutles4Ever]

It's certainly headed that way. Places like Spain probably top this list. I don't see America going down that road for some time. Persecution, yes. Hauling the Vatican into court for international crimes? As lax as American Catholics are about their faith, they pale in comparison to the apathy of Europe. The Euros would sell the Church for 30 silver pieces. I think even the most apathetic Americans would be offended by an attempt by any politician/judge/lawyer to criminalize the faith.

But things can change quick...

[Brytani]

The Vatican needs to come down hard, including removing priests and bishops who give communion to Catholic politicians who vote for legalized abortion.

[Rutles4Ever]

Excommunication is more about the condition of the relationship between the faithful and God. It really doesn't matter whether the Church proclaims someone excommunicated or not. If they are, it's because of their actions, not the judgment of the Church. Same goes for saints. It's helpful for the Church to identify saints, so that the faithful can emulate them in their own lives, but there are countless saints uncanonized and in heaven...