Posted on 04/11/2002 11:24:11 AM PDT by Saundra Duffy
Cardinal Likens Abortion to Terrorism Tue Apr 9, 1:01 PM ET - Associated Press
VATICAN CITY - A Roman Catholic cardinal compared abortion, euthanasia and genetic experiments to the Sept. 11 terror attacks, saying Tuesday they all share a "contempt for human life."
Cardinal Francis Arinze, the Vatican point man on dialogue with other religions, made the remark in a message celebrating a Buddhist festival.
He appealed to Buddhists to work against "a culture of death, in which abortion, euthanasia and genetic experiments on human life itself have already obtained or are on the way to obtaining legal recognition."
In his statement, Arinze said: "How can we not make a correlation between this culture of death in which the most innocent, defenseless, and critically ill human lives are threatened with death, and terrorist attacks, such as those of 11 September, in which thousands of innocent people were slaughtered?"
"We must say that both of these are built on contempt for human life," the cardinal said. The Vatican released the statement Tuesday ahead of next month's Feast of Vesakh, which celebrates Buddha's birthday.
Arinze said Buddhists and Christians share a "common respect for human beings." Christians and Buddhists, he said, "should build a culture of life, in which the right to life is fully protected from conception until natural death This would be a way to counteract and overcome the culture of death."
The 69-year-old cardinal has worked for more than 20 years at the Vatican, where he has been a key figure in arranging interfaith dialogue among Catholics, Muslims and Hindus. He gained attention in the past after a newspaper article described him as a contender to be the next pope. Since then, he has shied away from contact with the press.
When you see the baby trying to evade the abortionist in the womb, it does seem like a terrorist scenario.
PRO LIFE BUMP!!
04-07-99
By Chido Nwangwu
He is the highest ranking Black in the inner sanctum of the Vatican, the home of the Roman Catholic Church. Many say, he's in line for consideration to become Pope. He does not and never encourages the projection of the possibility of his succeeding the current Pope, John Paul II. In fact, he frowns at it. We'll do not dwell on that here; at least, not this time. Cardinal Francis Arinze, the unique and distinctly cerebral personality on the cover page of the latest edition of www.usafricaonline.com and USAfrica The Newspaper, dated April 14, 1999 (Vol. 6#4), embodies the hopes and endurance of a people, a community, a faith and the inter-connectedness of humankind. he celebrated his Easter weekend with members of our community, and principally members of the Roman Catholic faith.
As the facilitator of inter-religious dialogue, he has seen and interacted with differing religionists who, to varying degrees, embody zealotry and reason, lucidity of thought and rock-ribbed dogmatisms. he also did this time in Houston, discussing with members of other faiths.
By being a major voice for Roman Catholicism in Africa, he has enriched the goals of the Vatican to win more souls to that unique section of the Christian community.
In deftly respecting and showing sensitivity to the cultural contexts for religious evangelization and work in different regions of the world, Arinze (a Nigerian from the south eastern Igbo ethnic group as is the literary giant Prof. Chinua Achebe) seems a fitting bridge for a common, shared theology of humankind. Our brother, The Cardinal, is neither extreme in words nor brash in personal conduct, he also stands as a role model who should be emulated by many, especially in the community of his natural origin, the Nigerian community. Among other qualities, he shows scholarship and a rare balance of reason and theology.
Most of His Eminence¹s compatriots should begin by turning away from the hypocrisy of prayerful supplication in the morning and turning like chameleons in the evening to agents of backbiting, divisiveness, showboating, uncouth indulgences, economic excesses masked in false and misleading lifestyles, loud and quarrelsome wastes of energy and resources over all manner of banalities.
Like our brother, The Cardinal, we should do good for all; we should without malice to anyone, and with the fear of God. Brother Cardinal Arinze, may your pastoral lineage endure, and let there be more like you! Nwanne m, ji do kwa k¹iji.
As a Roman Catholic I agree with you. You do have a point. Abortion has always been a sin in the Catholic Church. But, before they can preach about sins they have to get rid of their own sinners and FAST! The Catholic Church needs to be purged! They should stop throwing up smoke screens!
The aweful fact that flag waving Americans don't want to look at is that as a Country, we are about as evil there ever was in this respect.
Well, that's a stretch!
Agreed! The Catholic church harbors the likes of Teddy Kennedy, Mario Cuomo, and John Kerry.
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