Obama looking for the common ground (The actual O-R article) (Media Malpractice Alert)

L'Osservatore Romano | 5/18/2009

[markomalley]

Obama looking for the common ground

Washington, 18. The search for common ground: this seems to be the path chosen by the President of the United States, Barack Obama, to address the sensitive issue of abortion. Setting aside the heated tone of the election campaign, Obama confirmed yesterday confirmed the statement made at the press conference for one hundred days in the White House, when he said that the launch of the new abortion law is not a priority of his Administration. And to reiterate this position, the president has chosen the ceremony for the conferment of honorary degree in law from University of Notre Dame, Indiana, the most prestigious Catholic university in the United States.

Heated controversies have marked the weeks following the invitation of Obama by the rector, John Jenkins. And yesterday - as was predictable - disputes were not missing. But from the podium set up in the basketball stadium, the President called on Americans of all faiths and ideological conviction to "join hands in a common effort" to reduce the number of abortions. "I am not saying that the abortion debate is destined to disappear: the views of Americans on this matter are complex and, at some level, irreconcilable," Obama said, urging those present to defend their views with passion and conviction, but "without reducing to caricature those who do not think like us. "

In his speech, Obama reiterated the line of the joint task force "to reduce the number of abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, facilitating adoptions and ensuring assistance and support to those who decide to keep the baby." The President has also proposed a conscience clause for doctors and paramedics who refuse to practice abortions. "But - he added - we ensure that our health policies are based on scientific and ethical clear, as the respect of equality of women."

In his speech the president reminded the students to the challenges posed by economic crisis and the extreme violence, nuclear proliferation and pandemics. But all attention was focused on the issue of abortion. "Even if you do not agree - he said - can we agree that it is a difficult (literally, lacerating) decision for any woman."

[markomalley]

This was the article that was supposedly signaling something.

H/T to Father Z (for the pic) and Catholic Key blog (for the transcription of the Italian). This is mostly a computer translation that has been touched up by me for a little better clarity. My Italian is only so-so, so if I missed something, I apologize (in advance).

I want you all to note that this is not an editorial.

It is a news article. While to be factually complete, I think it should have mentioned the 80 bishops who wrote Jenkins, it really is not "all that" that the media in the States made it appear to be.

FWIW

[markomalley]

Ping. Pass it on as you deem appropriate.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks. I think.

[markomalley]

Thanks. I think.

You're welcome. I think.

[Mrs. Don-o]

To L'Osservatore Romano, Obama came off as amiable, rather than arrogant. And that's another ironic proof that Notre Dame assisted President Obama in falsehood: saying one thing and doing another.

At Notre Dame, Obama endorsed "sensible conscience clauses"--- yet he's ordered the HHS to stop enforcement of the conscience clauses already passed by Congress (the Church Amendments, Coats Amendment, and the Hyde/Weldon Amendment) over the past 35 years. Some conscience!

Obama said we must respect others' convictions: yet he will compel pro-life citizens to become accomplices to abortion, by requiring us to finance, through taxes, the very thing we find morally intolerable. Some respect!

Obama cooed that opponents of embryonic stem cell research may be upholding the sacredness of life, "but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son's or daughter's hardships can be relieved."

He didn't mention that it is adult stem cells which have produced insulin-producing islet cells in humans, while embryonic stem cells have had no such success. Some omission!

So Obama endorses dialogue in the world's most visible Catholic venues, broadcasting his amiable beams and nods without back-and-forth, without rebuttal, and without exposure to countervailing facts.

Some dialogue.

[markomalley]

The point of me posting the article was to show that it really didn’t have any editorial content. It looked like any article that we’d have read from the MSM on the commencement.

And since it didn’t show any approval or disapproval of the concept (it just reported the same thing that the rest of the media reported), I see no reason to say that the Vatican “approves” or “disapproves” — not like its an editorial.

(Imagine this: some oblate sister that works in the Curia is overheard making a comment to a colleague while taking exercise in St. Peter’s Square during lunchtime in July: “it sure is muggy today.” The MSM headline: Vatican Despairs Over Global Warming — and the Sunday talk shows dissect the original MSM article, without going back to the Sister who was just complaining that it was a hot day to begin with)