VATICAN — Many of Pope John Paul II's selections of 31 Catholic prelates to become Cardinals will be very familiar to LifeSite readers. The list released by the Vatican last week includes bishops who have worked so tirelessly and tenaciously to defend the unborn and the family that their work is admired the world over.
One such appointee is Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States. LifeSite readers will recall his legendary February 2000 address blasting the United Nations and its many arms for promotion of abortion and abortifacient contraception under the guise of “reproductive health” and “rights”. He said that the promotion of abortion at the UN was spawned by “two factors: first, apocalyptic forecasts of a population boom exceeding the resources of the planet and, second, a radical feminist ideology calling for women to have complete control over their own bodies, including any unborn children.”
Another appointee, Archbishop Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, addressed the often confusing topic of the defense of the right to life in a democracy. In a speech in February 2002 Archbishop Herranz said the “majority rules” argument used to justify abortion is not worthy of a democracy that claims to uphold basic human rights.
Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, unequivocally opposed the introduction into Italy of the 'morning after pill' also called 'emergency contraception'. “The 'morning-after pill' is abortifacient; therefore the Church must condemn it without reservation,” he said.
Australian Archbishop George Pell is perhaps one of the world's most outspoken bishops defending life and family despite hostile media attention. Similarly, U.S. Archbishop Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, is well known for leading thousands in marches and prayers outside abortuaries. He once described Planned Parenthood clinics as a kind of “Calvary” for unborn children. “It is also a hill of Calvary — a place of banishment and execution,” he said.
Archbishop Tarcisco Bertone, Italy, Archbishop of Genoa was formerly the Secretary of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and as such signed off on the recent Vatican document on 'Catholics in Political Life' which taught authoritatively that life and family issues are “moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or derogation.” Beyond forbidding societal recognition of same-sex marriage, the document instructs, “in no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on the same level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such.”
Finally Canadian Archbishop Marc Ouellet, who only recently arrived in the diocese of Quebec City, has had the courage to speak out in defense of the Church's teachings on marriage despite a very hostile environment. His parishes and diocesan website contain a petition demanding the protection of marriage and his was the only diocese in Quebec to publicly support an Ottawa demonstration to show support for the Sanctity of Marriage.
Click here for a full list of the new Cardinals-elect
Australian Catholic Bishop Openly Slams Archbishop Pell's Promotion to Cardinal
SYDNEY — In a shocking departure from normal decorum, the Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra has come out publicly denouncing the promotion of Sydney's Archbishop George Pell to Cardinal. Canberra Bishop Pat Power, a bishop who has in the past had difficulty in stomaching the Church's less politically correct stances, told ABC radio on Monday that he was disappointed with the Pope's selection.
“But in terms of what it means for the church, I think it further shows the church to be representing many elements that I think are not doing the church very much good at the moment,” he said. Using jargon especially employed by Church dissidents bishop Powers said, “I suppose what concerns me is that many of the values that I think are dear to Australian Catholics — such as the dignity of the human person, the primacy of conscience, the theology of communion, the need for dialogue in our church, reading the signs of the times — I don't think that they're values that are particularly clearly enunciated by Archbishop Pell.” He concluded, “I think for that reason, many people will be disappointed the church is going further in that direction.”
The media both in Australia and worldwide have been relentless in criticizing Archbishop Pell, principally for his unapologetic stand against abortion. Some of the most negative press he received was when he addressed crowds of youth at World Youth Day events in Toronto in 2002. Archbishop Pell enraged some reporters noting that Jesus warns of punishment for sins such as premarital sex and abortion. “Jesus offers punishment and consequences. It's right through the Gospels. . It's important for you to defend Catholic tradition as coming to us from Christ and the apostles. We are not free to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. Our conscience can be wrong,” taught the Cardinal. While the teachings may have been unsettling to reporters, and perhaps to Bishop Power, the youth jumped to their feet to give the Archbishop a standing ovation.
See the coverage of Bishop Power's remarks
(This update courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com.)
