Vatican: Obama seeks "common ground" on abortion

Associated Press ^ | May 18, 2009

[Zakeet]

The Vatican said Monday that President Barack Obama was clearly looking for some common ground with his speech at the University of Notre Dame about abortion.

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said Obama's speech at the leading Catholic university on Sunday confirmed what he had said at a recent news conference — that signing the so-called Freedom of Choice Act in the U.S. Congress wasn't his highest legislative priority. The bill would protect a woman's right to have a child or end a pregnancy.

Obama's stance on the issue is that he supports abortion rights but says the procedure should be rare.

The article didn't mention the protest by dozens of U.S. Catholic bishops who denounced Notre Dame for honoring Obama because his abortion rights record clashes with fundamental church teaching.

[Snip]

The Vatican has been open to Obama ever since his election, despite his record on abortion and support for embryonic stem-cell research, which the Vatican also opposes.

Pope Benedict XVI broke Vatican protocol the day after Obama was elected, sending a personal note of congratulations rather than wait to send an official telegram on inauguration day.

[Cheetahcat]

“Whoa! Waitaminnit. Associated Press is saying “The Vatican” said all this, when it’s an article in “L’Osservatore Romano”?
Jeepers FReepers, people, use your heads.

Last week it was E.J. Dionne blathering on in the Washington Post about an article in “L’Osservatore Romano” about Obama’s first 100 days, written by “Giuseppe Fiorentino” -— not the Pope or a Bishop or a priest or anything but a ... wait for it ... foreign affairs correspondant.

A lowly stringer to a daily newspaper which, while it does publish approved translations of official Church texts, otherwise operates as an independent newspaper whose masthead motto is Unicuique suum (”To each his own”).

This is not the latest chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, my friends.

So now we’ve got AP referring to a “L’Osservatore Romano” unsigned editorial -— they don’t even have ol’ Giuseppe to quote -— and they’re trying to pass it off a “Vatican policy”??

AP: ignorant or deliberate deceiver?

Probably both. Terry Mattingly over at “GetReligion” says you can always knock off 50 IQ points on any AP article about religion, because they’re just so dumb: “Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.”

But I want to add that, there’s also an agenda here, as broad as a barn door.

Has AP quoted the ACTUAL top Vatican official who HAS spoken out against Obama at Notre Dame? No? Archbishop Raymond Burke, the head of the Apostolic Signatura (roughly analogous to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court)? Don’t remember seeing that one?

But now some unsigned editorial appears in a non-official daily newspaper, and bang, it’s Vatican dogma?

Sheesh.

(Shakes head. Considers going outside to dig up some yummy worms from the leaf-lettuce bed.)”

Good catch thank you.

[wagglebee]

The Holy See is, for lack of a better term, the “headquarters” of the Catholic Church. It is located in Vatican City which is a sovereign nation within Rome. The Pope lives there as do other cardinals, bishops, priests, etc. The Church IS NOT a democracy, the Pope’s authority is basically absolute. However, there are “offices” (much like cabinet level departments and courts) within the Vatican.

When people speak of “the Vatican” released a press statement, it is just like saying the White House released a statement.

The statement that was released a week and a half ago was from Archbishop Burke who is the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura. The Apostolic Signatura is the Church’s highest court and Burke’s position is roughly the equivalent of the chief justice; however, unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, the Prefect will never be at odds with the Pope. Burke is an archbishop and not a cardinal; however, all previous prefects have been cardinals, so it is likely that Burke will soon be elevated. To the best of my knowledge, no American has ever before held as important a position in the Church as Burke does now.

[mckenzie7]

Thank you....thank you.....thank you.

Now I can relax!

[trisham]

Excellent post, Mrs. D.

[Houghton M.]

I see that I was mistaken. Apparently there is a new statement in the current OR edition about the May 17 events. AP is not resurrecting the April 29 story about the first 100 days but commenting directly on yesterday’s events.

But OR does not equal “The Vatican.”

Still, it’s distressing that OR is so clueless about the very real political game that Obama was playing yesterday—they’ve taken his bait hook, line and sinker.

It’s all the more important now that either the American bishops or Burke or Benedict directly confront today’s OR statement.

[Huskrrrr]

Good point!

[Landru]

Thank you both very much.
I'll get up to speed on this people, places and titles matter, eventually.
With a little help from my friends. ;^)

IF the MSM quislings are taking things out of context, and I believe they most certainly do and are because they can and that's what they do?
Who, but the Pope himself, can set this straight for the world?

That one's kind of a rhetorical question while then again, kind of not. ;^)

[justiceseeker93]

Thanks for the clarification in your post # 76.

[Houghton M.]

This is strange. The latest English edition posted is May 13. The daily May 18-19 Italian edition http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_quo/index.html#top has no article that corresponds to the descriptions that I find in the AP story and the Catholic News Service story. Perhaps OR doesn’t post the entire daily Italian edition and that the AP and CNS stories are based on their having their hands on the paper Italian edition. In any case, I cannot find the actual OR news report or editorial regarding May 17 events in South Bend anywhere on the web.

But perhaps others can find it.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I share your boggled-ness. And it's no secret that there are people in high places (believe me, higher than the L'Osservatore masthead) who are working to undermine B16 and the true Catholic mission every chance they get.

The CIA calls such people "defectors in place."

I can't read that line without seeing "defecators," somehow.

[wagglebee]

IF the MSM quislings are taking things out of context, and I believe they most certainly do and are because they can and that's what they do?

The mainstream media is more in the tank for Zero than for anyone else in history. They NEVER reported Archbishop Burke's statement or the fact that over seventy American bishops had condemned Notre Dame. It's rather easy to control the news when you ignore everything which contradicts your agenda.

Who, but the Pope himself, can set this straight for the world?

It will be set straight, but it very well not be publicized immediately.

It is important to remember that though Notre Dame was founded as and still claims to be a Catholic university, it is ACTUALLY a PRIVATE university. The Church can take actions against "Father" Jenkins, but has no real control over Notre Dame itself. And it is likely that all initial dealings with Jenkins and possibly his superiors would be done in private.

[MES401067]

Thank you.

[Anima Mundi]

Why do so many people on the left keep wanting everyone to sacrifice, except for pregnant women. Their sacrifice would mean a new life, new hope, a new child to someone who desperately wants one, end of acrimony in the society. It is a relatively small sacrifice in a society which is telling us we must all live for the sake of “others”.

Also this is the ONE place they demand the government has no business in our lives. Yes government can tell us everything else to do and how to do it and on top of it make us pay for it. But when it comes to abortion everybody has every right in the world and everybody else has to pay for it. This is very inconsistent. If only the same standard of government hands-off could apply to other areas of life.

[Anima Mundi]

Woops. My point was that this is the only common ground I see. Government, leave us alone. I realize this leaves out an important part of the equation but it is at least something to hold them to and might get them to relent some or think some if we force them to follow their own rules down the line (ie sacrifice and government noninterference). The flow is like this: if I do own my own body and the products of that body then I also own my own income which is a product of the sweat of my brow and therefore a product of my body, belonging to me and not the group.

[Landru]

"I share your boggled-ness."

Good, then I'm not the odd man out.

"And it's no secret that there are people in high places (believe me, higher than the L'Osservatore masthead) who are working to undermine B16 and the true Catholic mission every chance they get. The CIA calls such people "defectors in place."...I can't read that line without seeing "defecators," somehow."

HA!!
I *somehow* totally appreacite the oversight.
Score one for the Mrs. ;^)

[Landru]

"The mainstream media is more in the tank for Zero than for anyone else in history. They NEVER reported Archbishop Burke's statement or the fact that over seventy American bishops had condemned Notre Dame."

The AP once again employing their version of The Sin of Omission?
Old tack the AP literally made into a science, a science that may very well one day come for them.
Creating a Frankenstein monster does that, y'know?

"It's rather easy to control the news when you ignore everything which contradicts your agenda."

That's the AP's forte', forwarding their baloney and the truth be damned.
Slowly and surely people are getting wise to the shtick, this I know and when their ox is gored they'll come around that much faster.
Faith. ;^)

>Who, but the Pope himself, can set this straight for the world?
"It will be set straight, but it very well not be publicized immediately."

Oh yes it will, and you and Mrs D-O and others in-the-know are going to report the truth, right here.
The rest of us will take it from there. ;^)

"It is important to remember that though Notre Dame was founded as and still claims to be a Catholic university, it is ACTUALLY a PRIVATE university."

POUND [that] point home until no one may say they didn't know.
Y'hear?

"The Church can take actions against "Father" Jenkins, but has no real control over Notre Dame itself. And it is likely that all initial dealings with Jenkins and possibly his superiors would be done in private."

I'm certain what, if any, repercussions will be dealt with in private.
It's what the zerO does and says that's babbled ad nauseum and there *is* a enormous difference between the two forces, isn't there. ;^)

abb?
AP, they're at it again.

[lastchance]

I agree with you.

[wagglebee]

The Notre Dame board of trustees may have backed Jenkins, but they will eventually have to face the reality that alumni has withdrawn at least $14 MILLION in pledged donations which will be even more noticeable since colleges nationwide are experiencing a drop in donations due to the economy.

Notre Dame football tickets are sold out years in advance, but that could also become a factor down the road, especially when you consider that they haven't had a truly great team in over twenty years.

[itsahoot]

looks like only one pesky detail to iron out and the Vatican will be cool.

One wants babies alive the other want babies dead. Decisions, decisions, what ever will the Pope choose.

[itsahoot]

So then I guess he doesn't care how rare it will be.

Bill Clinton's statement. Safe, legal, and rare. Gee we have heard this song before. Get the football ready Lucy we are going to kick it for sure this time.