The following statement is from Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, in which he references the Didache, or the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles". (Source)
On Meet the Press this past Sunday, August 23, 2008, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made statements regarding the teaching of the Catholic Church, human life and abortion that were incorrect.
Speaker Pelosi responded to a question on when life begins by mentioning she was Catholic. She went on to say, “And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition...” After Mr. Tom Brokaw, the interviewer, pointed out that the Catholic Church feels strongly that life begins at conception, she replied, “I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy.”
We respect the right of elected officials such as Speaker Pelosi to address matters of public policy that are before them, but the interpretation of Catholic faith has rightfully been entrusted to the Catholic bishops. Given this responsibility to teach, it is important to make this correction for the record.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear: the current teaching of the Catholic Church on human life and abortion is the same teaching as it was 2,000 years ago. The Catechism reads:
“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception…Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.” (Catechism, 2270-2271)
The Catechism goes on to quote the Didache, a treatise that dates to the first century: “’You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.’”
From the beginning, the Catholic Church has respected the dignity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death.
If I may make one observation as a somewhat educated Catholic lay person, the Twelve Apostles lived well over 50 years ago.
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But are you a mother of five and grandmother of seven? If not, then how can you possibly expound upon Catholic teaching?
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, I forgot. It's the "culture", stupid. Like slow Joe Biden said:
ReplyDeleteMy idea of self, of family, of community, of the wider world comes straight from my religion. It's not so much the Bible, the beatitudes, the Ten Commandments, the sacraments, or the prayers I learned. It's the culture.
Yeah, what's this whole Bible/10 Commandments/Beatitudes thing? Isn't that, like, fundamentalist or Calvinist or Protestant or something? Those people don't even have Rosary beads to ram down each other's throat.
Also note that "self" is mentioned first.
Don't forget. Slow Joe the Plagiarist is a Constitutional Law Professor at U of Del. So he is able to crib from the SuprCt (Planned Parenthood v. Casey)itself:
ReplyDeleteThese matters, involving the most intimate and personal choices a person may make in a lifetime, choices central to personal dignity and autonomy, are central to the liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.
If you buy that passage, you'll buy whatever Joe Biden is selling. And if that passage is to be believed, as Justice Scalia said, "it is the passage that ate the Rule of Law".
Wow. "At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life."
ReplyDeleteI think that's a good example of where conservatives and liberals disagree with the meaning of liberty. We want liberty to be able to drill for oil, keep and bear arms and send our kids to any school we want, among others. They want liberty to define a concept of existence. I don't know why they don't throw in the "liberty" to rescind the laws of gravity and thermodynamics while they're at it. That would solve the energy crisis right away.