– og folk ønsker ham derfor en langsom og smertefull død.
Jeg leste her at Canadas ledende katoslke erkebiskop hadde uttalt seg tydelig mot abort, også etter voldtekt, på et ja-til-livet-arrangement, og at dette hadde ført til voldsomme reaksjoner. Men burde det overraske noen? – «Is the Pope Catholic?» er overskrifta på artikkelen jeg siterer:
… as a spokesman for the Quebec City Archdiocese later pointed out, the Cardinal wasn’t saying anything new: Like many religious Christians, strictly observant Catholics typically regard all fetuses as carrying the divine spark of human life. And so they urge that the tragedy or rape should not be compounded by a second moral tragedy.
Not that you would know any of this from the freaked out reaction by many pro-choice politicians and pundits. Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois said she was «completely outraged» by the Cardinal’s remarks. A columnist with Montreal’s La Presse newspaper, Patrick Lagace, said he wished that the Cardinal «dies from a long and painful illness.» Even Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Josee Verner — whose international maternal-health policies the Cardinal supports — declared that the man’s remarks were «unacceptable.»
When, exactly, did it become «unacceptable» for a man of faith to articulate his Church’s position on a controversial bioethical issue? Are there any other issues that Ms. Marois, Mr. Lagace and Ms. Verner would like Christians to shut up about? Gay marriage? Stem cells? Pre-marital sex? Perhaps they should make a list, just so everyone can keep track.
For years now, this newspaper and other conservative outlets have been warning Canadians that the trend toward liberal dogmatism among much of Canada’s political class — buttressed by an out-of-control human-rights constabulary — is serving to muzzle religious Christians who are doing nothing else than giving voice to their cherished beliefs. The appalling reaction to Cardinal Ouellet’s speech demonstrates how serious the problem has become.
Kardinalen sier et annet sted at disse sterke reaksjonene mot tradisjonell kristen moral ikke kan forandres ved hjelpe at lovverket; det som trengs er evangelisering:
«I am aware that in Canada, in Quebec in particular, you will not reform society at the moral level by teaching morals first,» he said.
«It will be through a new evangelization. If you do not meet Jesus Christ, it is very difficult to accept the teaching, the moral teaching of the Church. I am aware of that, even if what we teach is coherent at the rational level.»
The cardinal was saddened that he has been accused of condemning women. «I have condemned nobody, not even the women that go to abortion.» Ouellet said the consequences of abortion are difficult for women, even if they are not commonly recognized. «Women go to abortion not because it is funny,» he said. «It is not funny at all; they are distressed. It is a very difficult decision to take.»