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Abortion row hits pope's Latin American visit
Via NY Transfer News Collective All the News that Doesn't Fit
Al Jazeera - May 10, 2007
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E44CBEEF-D34B-483F-A5E3-5F22304C6945.htm
Abortion row hits pope's visit
The Roman Catholic pope's arrival in Brazil has been marked by
controversy over his remarks on abortion and a poor turnout of the
faithful, indicating growing discontent with the church.
Pope Benedict XVI began his first papal trip to Latin America on
Wednesday by speaking against abortion in Brazil.
In a news conference on his flight, he also suggested that Catholic
politicians in Mexico had excommunicated themselves by legalising
abortion in the capital.
Benedict, who will inaugurate an important regional bishops' conference,
said he was certain that the bishops will reinforce "the promotion of
respect for life from the moment of conception until natural death as an
integral requirement of human nature".
Poor turnout
Thousands waited in the rain and cold for a glimpse of Benedict as he
blessed them at the monastery where he is staying, but Al Jazeera's
correspondent in Sao Paulo, Lucia Newman, said the turnout was
relatively poor in the world's largest Catholic nation and in a city of
10 million.
The pope was greeted by the Brazilian president and first lady in Sao
Paulo [Reuters] The Vatican says Benedict will confront major
challenges during his visit, such as the church's declining influence
in Brazil, the exodus of Catholics to evangelical Christian churches,
and efforts to expand access to abortion in the region.
In his first fully-fledged news conference since becoming pontiff in
2005, the pope was asked during his flight where he stood on the issue
of excommunicating Catholic politicians approving abortion legislation
and medical staff taking part in such procedures.
"The excommunication was not something arbitrary. It is part of the
[canon law] code. It is based simply on the principle that the killing
of an innocent human child is incompatible with going in Communion with
the body of Christ.
"Thus, they [the bishops] didn't do anything new or anything
surprising, or arbitrary.''
Church officials later said the pope might have thought the Mexican
bishops had issued a formal declaration of excommunication for the
legislators, something Norberto Rivera, the Mexican Cardinal, has said
he has no intention of doing.
Benedict's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said the pope was not setting
a new policy and did not intend to formally excommunicate anyone - a
rare process under church law that is separate from the doctrine of
self-excommunication.
"Since excommunication hasn't been declared by the Mexican bishops, the
pope has no intention himself of declaring it," Lombardi said in a
statement approved by the pope.
But Lombardi said politicians who vote in favour of abortion should not
receive Communion - bread and wine that Catholics believe are
transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
On the trip from Rome, Benedict said the exodus of Catholics for
evangelical Protestant churches in Latin America was "our biggest
worry".
"We have to become more dynamic," he said.
Opposition
But he may have his work cut out, with not just growing disenchantment
but outright hostility towards the church.
Protesters held a vigil with signs stating "Jesus loves gay people" on
Wednesday and called on the church to reform its stance on birth
control, specifically on the use of condoms.
"A lot of people do not agree with the church's policies, we need to
see a change in the church. We need to talk about this, that's why we
are here," activist Clarissa Berez said.
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Hash: SHA1
Abortion row hits pope's Latin American visit
Via NY Transfer News Collective All the News that Doesn't Fit
Al Jazeera - May 10, 2007
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E44CBEEF-D34B-483F-A5E3-5F22304C6945.htm
Abortion row hits pope's visit
The Roman Catholic pope's arrival in Brazil has been marked by
controversy over his remarks on abortion and a poor turnout of the
faithful, indicating growing discontent with the church.
Pope Benedict XVI began his first papal trip to Latin America on
Wednesday by speaking against abortion in Brazil.
In a news conference on his flight, he also suggested that Catholic
politicians in Mexico had excommunicated themselves by legalising
abortion in the capital.
Benedict, who will inaugurate an important regional bishops' conference,
said he was certain that the bishops will reinforce "the promotion of
respect for life from the moment of conception until natural death as an
integral requirement of human nature".
Poor turnout
Thousands waited in the rain and cold for a glimpse of Benedict as he
blessed them at the monastery where he is staying, but Al Jazeera's
correspondent in Sao Paulo, Lucia Newman, said the turnout was
relatively poor in the world's largest Catholic nation and in a city of
10 million.
The pope was greeted by the Brazilian president and first lady in Sao
Paulo [Reuters] The Vatican says Benedict will confront major
challenges during his visit, such as the church's declining influence
in Brazil, the exodus of Catholics to evangelical Christian churches,
and efforts to expand access to abortion in the region.
In his first fully-fledged news conference since becoming pontiff in
2005, the pope was asked during his flight where he stood on the issue
of excommunicating Catholic politicians approving abortion legislation
and medical staff taking part in such procedures.
"The excommunication was not something arbitrary. It is part of the
[canon law] code. It is based simply on the principle that the killing
of an innocent human child is incompatible with going in Communion with
the body of Christ.
"Thus, they [the bishops] didn't do anything new or anything
surprising, or arbitrary.''
Church officials later said the pope might have thought the Mexican
bishops had issued a formal declaration of excommunication for the
legislators, something Norberto Rivera, the Mexican Cardinal, has said
he has no intention of doing.
Benedict's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said the pope was not setting
a new policy and did not intend to formally excommunicate anyone - a
rare process under church law that is separate from the doctrine of
self-excommunication.
"Since excommunication hasn't been declared by the Mexican bishops, the
pope has no intention himself of declaring it," Lombardi said in a
statement approved by the pope.
But Lombardi said politicians who vote in favour of abortion should not
receive Communion - bread and wine that Catholics believe are
transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
On the trip from Rome, Benedict said the exodus of Catholics for
evangelical Protestant churches in Latin America was "our biggest
worry".
"We have to become more dynamic," he said.
Opposition
But he may have his work cut out, with not just growing disenchantment
but outright hostility towards the church.
Protesters held a vigil with signs stating "Jesus loves gay people" on
Wednesday and called on the church to reform its stance on birth
control, specifically on the use of condoms.
"A lot of people do not agree with the church's policies, we need to
see a change in the church. We need to talk about this, that's why we
are here," activist Clarissa Berez said.
================================================================
NY Transfer News Collective A Service of Blythe Systems
Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
Search Archives: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/htdig/search.html
List Archives: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
Subscribe: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
================================================================
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