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Obama Tells Pope He Is Committed to Reducing Abortions
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| President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama meet with Pope Benedict XVI, Friday, July 10, 2009, at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari) |
Conservatives Question President’s Pledge
By Joe Murray, The Bulletin
A fierce advocate of abortion rights, President Barack Obama met with Pope Benedict XVI Friday and told the Pontiff he would work to reduce the number of abortions inside the United States.
“The pontiff told me that President Obama affirmed his personal commitment to try to reduce the number of abortions in the United States,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters.
Mr. Obama and the Pope met for just under an hour in Benedict’s study and Vatican officials said the two talked about abortion, bioethics and other life related issues. The discussion was described as a polite dialogue among two men with differing beleifs.
Since taking the oath of office in January, Mr. Obama has steadily worked to turn back the pro-life accomplishments of former President George W. Bush’s administration.
He gave the green light for the tax payer funding of abortions abroad and lifted the federal ban on stem cell research. The president is also pushing to provided tax payer funded abortions to those living in Washington, D.C. and such a track record has led many to question Mr. Obama’s pledge to the Pontiff.
"The President says that he wants fewer abortions yet he's now trying to compel the public to pay for abortions in the District of Columbia," said Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Killing babies and hurting women will not strengthen our communities.”
In an unexpected move, the Pope handed Mr. Obama a document detailing why the Church opposes stem cell research, abortion and other social issues on bioethics and moral grounds. The document, “Dignitas Personae” (dignity of a person) condemns artificial fertilization - namely because such a technique creates excess embryos that are discarded - and also says human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research are immoral.
The document reinforced the Catholic teaching that all life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, is valuable and must be protected. The Vatican said the move should not be characterized as a surprise because this Pontiff’s commitment to the dignity of human life is well known.
"We know that this (abortion) is a crucial theme for the pope. There is no need to hide it. It (giving him the booklet) was an attempt to be clear, it was not polemical,” said Cardinal Lombardi.
Any hopes the document could sway the pro-choice president were greatly reduced after an Obama spokesperson said abortion will most likely be an issue where Mr. Obama and the Pontiff will not see eye to eye.
"He is eager to find common ground on these issues and to work aggressively to do that," said Denis McDonough, deputy national security adviser. Mr. McDonough conditioned his statement with the caveat there may be some issues where Mr. Obama and Pope Benedict cannot come to agreement.
Such a statement reflects that of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs who earlier said, “Even if we don't see eye to eye on everything, there are steps that can be taken on a number of issues that will show progress, whether it's on something like unintended pregnancy or adoption.”
Social issues were not the only topics on the table, as Mr. Obama used his time with the Pontiff to discuss the situation in the Middle East. According to Mr. McDonough, Mr. Obama “expressed appreciation for the longstanding efforts of the Holy See and the pope himself in promoting that (peace in the Middle East).”
As Mr. Obama left, Pope Benedict said, “I'll pray for you. I'll pray for your work.”
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
“The pontiff told me that President Obama affirmed his personal commitment to try to reduce the number of abortions in the United States,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters.
Mr. Obama and the Pope met for just under an hour in Benedict’s study and Vatican officials said the two talked about abortion, bioethics and other life related issues. The discussion was described as a polite dialogue among two men with differing beleifs.
Since taking the oath of office in January, Mr. Obama has steadily worked to turn back the pro-life accomplishments of former President George W. Bush’s administration.
He gave the green light for the tax payer funding of abortions abroad and lifted the federal ban on stem cell research. The president is also pushing to provided tax payer funded abortions to those living in Washington, D.C. and such a track record has led many to question Mr. Obama’s pledge to the Pontiff.
"The President says that he wants fewer abortions yet he's now trying to compel the public to pay for abortions in the District of Columbia," said Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Killing babies and hurting women will not strengthen our communities.”
In an unexpected move, the Pope handed Mr. Obama a document detailing why the Church opposes stem cell research, abortion and other social issues on bioethics and moral grounds. The document, “Dignitas Personae” (dignity of a person) condemns artificial fertilization - namely because such a technique creates excess embryos that are discarded - and also says human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research are immoral.
The document reinforced the Catholic teaching that all life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, is valuable and must be protected. The Vatican said the move should not be characterized as a surprise because this Pontiff’s commitment to the dignity of human life is well known.
"We know that this (abortion) is a crucial theme for the pope. There is no need to hide it. It (giving him the booklet) was an attempt to be clear, it was not polemical,” said Cardinal Lombardi.
Any hopes the document could sway the pro-choice president were greatly reduced after an Obama spokesperson said abortion will most likely be an issue where Mr. Obama and the Pontiff will not see eye to eye.
"He is eager to find common ground on these issues and to work aggressively to do that," said Denis McDonough, deputy national security adviser. Mr. McDonough conditioned his statement with the caveat there may be some issues where Mr. Obama and Pope Benedict cannot come to agreement.
Such a statement reflects that of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs who earlier said, “Even if we don't see eye to eye on everything, there are steps that can be taken on a number of issues that will show progress, whether it's on something like unintended pregnancy or adoption.”
Social issues were not the only topics on the table, as Mr. Obama used his time with the Pontiff to discuss the situation in the Middle East. According to Mr. McDonough, Mr. Obama “expressed appreciation for the longstanding efforts of the Holy See and the pope himself in promoting that (peace in the Middle East).”
As Mr. Obama left, Pope Benedict said, “I'll pray for you. I'll pray for your work.”
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
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