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Obama tells pope he wants to reduce abortions in U.S.
Reuters ^ | July 10, 2009 | Philip Pullella and Jeff Mason

Posted on 07/10/2009 11:26:28 AM PDT by NYer

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - President Barack Obama promised Pope Benedict on Friday that he would do everything possible to reduce the number of abortions in the United States, the Vatican said.

Obama and Benedict held private talks for about 40 minutes in the pope's frescoed study in the Vatican's apostolic palace and the Vatican said bioethics and life issues were a central part of the discussion.

In a surprise move, the pontiff gave Obama a booklet explaining Vatican opposition to practices such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research, which Obama supports.

"Obama told the pope of his commitment to reduce the number of abortions and of his attention and respect for the positions of the Catholic Church," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters after he was briefed by the pope.

Obama supports abortion rights and says his policy is to change economic and social conditions so as to put more women in situations where they do not feel they have to have an abortion.

The pope gave Obama, who last March lifted restrictions of federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, a copy of a recent Vatican document on bio-ethics in which the Holy See explains its opposition to such practices.

"Dignitas Personae" (dignity of a person) condemns artificial fertilization and other techniques used by many couples and also says human cloning, "designer babies" and embryonic stem-cell research are immoral.

The document defends life from conception to natural death and a Vatican statement issued after the meeting said the topics discussed included "the defense and promotion of life and the right to abide by one's conscience."

The pope's private secretary told reporters after the meeting: "This reading can help the president better understand the Church's position on these issues."

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; bhoabortion; bhovatican; bhovisit; catholic; obama; pope; popebenedict
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To: Ann Archy; colorado tanker

I’m Catholic and I read what colorado tanker wrote as BO lies all the time. CT does not need to apologize to me.


101 posted on 07/10/2009 3:11:14 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Psalm 109:8 - Let his days be few; and let another take his office)
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To: netmilsmom

Good grief.....read farther down....geesh....it got straightened up and I said so.


102 posted on 07/10/2009 3:14:42 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: NYer

I am so tired of this Democratic lie! If you want to reduce the number of abortions, vote to stop the practice. They pull the same nonsense with smoking, yet they won’t ban it. Don’t listen to nonsense anymore. Be reviled by it and vote with a fury against it.


103 posted on 07/10/2009 3:46:39 PM PDT by maxwellsmart_agent
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To: Ann Archy

My screen shows only so many posts.

We are free to post about anything we like. Maybe if ya hadn’t jumped all over the poster and misunderstood what was written, I wouldn’t have felt a need to defend him.

Being a Catholic and all.`


104 posted on 07/10/2009 3:57:00 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Psalm 109:8 - Let his days be few; and let another take his office)
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To: netmilsmom

Gooly, you should get a comuter that has an arrow Up and Down!!


105 posted on 07/10/2009 5:22:45 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy

>>Gooly, you should get a comuter that has an arrow Up and Down!!<<

Have one, thanks. I even have a mouse with a wheel that scrolls for me.

The screen still only shows a few posts at a time.


106 posted on 07/10/2009 6:05:18 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Psalm 109:8 - Let his days be few; and let another take his office)
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To: NYer

**Obama tells pope he wants to reduce abortions in U.S.**

How laughable the liar in chief is when he is speaking. (Even when speaking to the Pope.)

Bet you the Pope knew he was lying!


107 posted on 07/10/2009 7:39:07 PM PDT by Salvation (With God all things are possible.)
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