By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
For a guy that’s been strongly pro life throughout his public clerical career, Save Jerseyans, it struck plenty of observers as a bit odd that Pope Francis barely touch on abortion in his historic address to Congress on Thursday, almost in passing, noting how “[t]he Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development” before quickly focusing on the death penalty.
Disappointed? You bet. Wouldn’t a brief prayer outside the Planned Parenthood near Capitol Hill have sent a powerful message? Particularly at a time when the global abortion giant is vulnerable and public opinion is hanging on the Supreme Pontiff’s every word?
It was a lost opportunity in my humble opinion. The shepherd left sheep on the field. A lot of them. Needlessly.
Who would’ve taken a different approach in light of recent events? While there’s no way to know for sure, judging by how direct he was during his reign, folks, Saint John Paul the Great remains the golden standard for bearing courageous witness in the face of evil… even in a politically delicate set of situation. It’s the kind of courage you could only expect from a guy who faced down Nazis AND communists:
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Not a fan of this Pope. I’m catholic but I find it hard to embrace his ideas.
I am against abortion because of my religious beliefs. Now, if abortion becomes illegal, will that end it? Of course not. Women of means will be able to access good doctors who they will pay off the books and get the procedure. Women of lower economic means will resort to using quacks who will, more often than not, injure, maim or kill them. Let’s be real talking about this, and not narrow sighted. Those who have to have this procedure will need to make their peace with themselves, and God (my belief). I am not God, so who am I to judge?
Sounds like somebody is a cafeteria Catholic!
Conservatives aren’t pro-life, they’re pro-BIRTH. That’s why they can wax nostalgic for a senile, doddering old fool of a pope who spoke out against abortions while priests were sexually abusing children. That’s why they demand you go through with having a baby, but don’t want you to have the health insurance and maternity leave you need in order to help you. That’s why they want welfare to workfare, but oppose raising the minimum wage and Head Start funding so you can actually afford to work.
These are all prime examples of why we need to stop calling republicans conservatives and call them what they really are, REGRESSIVES.
Hey Rooney: not everyone is a ROMAN Catholic…there are those of us – myself included – who are EASTERN Catholics (do a little research) and we have every reason to be sketchy about the Pope and Vatican politics.
Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI were pillars of intellect. Francis appears to be stuck with training wheels.