Cardinal Egan: Abortion support equal to Nazism

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Cardinal Edward Egan

, Oct 28, 2008 / 09:37 am (CNA).- In a strongly worded article published next to a moving photo of an unborn baby in the womb, Cardinal Edward Egan, Archbishop of New York, compared tolerating abortions to the reasoning used by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin to commit mass murders.

The cardinal begins his column for the latest edition of the archdiocesan newspaper “Catholic New York” by explaining that “the picture on this page is an untouched photograph of a being that has been within its mother for 20 weeks. Please do me the favor of looking at it carefully.”

“Have you any doubt that it is a human being?” Cardinal Egan asks.

“If your answer to this last query is negative, that is, if you have no doubt that the authorities in a civilized society would be duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if someone were to wish to kill it, I would suggest—even insist—that there is not a lot more to be said about the issue of abortion in our society. It is wrong, and it cannot—must not—be tolerated.”

The Archbishop of New York continues by asking: “Why do I not get into defining ‘human being,’ defining ‘person,’ defining ‘living,’ and the rest?”

“Because, I respond, I am sound of mind and endowed with a fine set of eyes, into which I do not believe it is well to cast sand. I looked at the photograph, and I have no doubt about what I saw and what are the duties of a civilized society if what I saw is in danger of being killed by someone who wishes to kill it or, if you prefer, someone who ‘chooses’ to kill it.”

After describing a recent video depicting the humanity of babies in their mothers’ wombs, the Archbishop of New York says that “if you can convince yourself that these beings are something other than living and innocent human beings, something, for example, such as ‘mere clusters of tissues,’ you have a problem far more basic than merely not appreciating the wrongness of abortion. And that problem is—forgive me—self-deceit in a most extreme form.”

Cardinal Egan continues: “Adolf Hitler convinced himself and his subjects that Jews and homosexuals were other than human beings. Joseph Stalin did the same as regards Cossacks and Russian aristocrats. And this despite the fact that Hitler and his subjects had seen both Jews and homosexuals with their own eyes, and Stalin and his subjects had seen both Cossacks and Russian aristocrats with theirs.”

“It is high time to stop pretending that we do not know what this nation of ours is allowing—and approving—with the killing each year of more than 1,600,000 innocent human beings within their mothers. We know full well that to kill what is clearly seen to be an innocent human being or what cannot be proved to be other than an innocent human being is as wrong as wrong gets,” he adds.

“Do me a favor,” Cardinal Egan writes, “Look at the photograph again. Look and decide with honesty and decency what the Lord expects of you and me as the horror of ‘legalized’ abortion continues to erode the honor of our nation. Look, and do not absolve yourself if you refuse to act.”

Read Cardinal Egan’s full column: http://www.archny.org/news-events/columns-and-blogs/cardinals-monthly-column/index.cfm?i=9314

Comments: 22

Subscriber comments:

Published by: DAN
VIC 08/16/2009 10:15 PM EST

forget war and abortion. Religion kills far more. and to make matters worse most pro lifers are against contraception. what about womens rights to their bodies and sexuality.

Published by: Fr. Omar A. Huesca
Miami, Florida. USA 11/13/2008 10:22 PM EST

Bravo, Cardinal Egan!

Finally our bishops are speaking clearly and bravely.
As a priest in the frontlines of pastoral work in the inner-city
I see the not so hidden racism of the abortion promoters and providers, who, for profit, target poor women for abortion and sterilization, while presenting themselves as defenders of women’s rights. The Afro-American community has been, and is being decimated by this legal genocide, which targets women and children of color. This is just one of the hidden realities that are seldom brought into the light.

I pray God that more and more of our leaders will find their courage to finally stand up and speak “clearly and with a punch”. With such captains it would be an honor and a blessing to die, if it came to that, for the glorious truth and beauty of our Church, which is the sacrament of salvation for humanity.

Again, Bravo, your Eminence!

Fr. Omar A. Huesca

Published by: H.J. D"cruz
Karachi Pakistan 11/10/2008 05:02 AM EST

In allowing abortion or making it legal the USA is killing its own population and them importing labour and immigrants from other parts of the world to fill the gap.This will eventually lead to America being replaced by Non-Americans.The same applies to Europe as well.

Published by: Joan Pernicano
San Diego, CA 11/02/2008 05:58 PM EST

In response to both Karen Sullivan and Carderock, all issues spring from the right to life. Deny one group the Constitutional right to life and what else can the government deny human beings? Our military (God bless them) accept that they may have to die to defend our freedoms and those of others. The unborn were given no choice. I challenge you to look at F.O.C.A. (Obama has promised to sign it into law) and then go to priestsforlife.org and look at pictures of aborted babies. After that, take a look at Obama's socialist and even communist programs he has in store for us. Talk about Hitler and the Nazis? We have Obama and the Democrats.

Published by: Diane
Houston, TX USA 10/29/2008 12:25 PM EST

Carderock:
The number of dead in the war can't compare to 4500 babies killed by abortion per DAY in this country! The vote for president is a vote for a supreme court nominee...you bet it is. Don't fool yourself...abortion, by pure numbers, is a far greater evil than anything you have mentioned.

Published by: Lisa
Illinois 10/29/2008 12:11 PM EST

It is clouding the issue to compare the war, where there can be a difference of opinion on the justice of it, to the issue of abortion where there is no justice at all involved. I think it's interesting that every time we mention the evil of abortion the same old tired song is sung about war. (i.e. change the subject) The two are so different as to be ridiculous and insulting to compare the two. Our soldiers, of which my husband, father, and grandfathers have all been proud to serve amongst, are able to defend themselves. They have weapons and are full-grown adults many of whom signed up so they could fight in this war. Preborn children are innocents being murdered. There is a big difference between dying in battle and being murdered in your own bed. Even if this were not true, the number of aborted babies are more than all the men who have died in all the wars since the beginning of our country. The war "out" is not logical here. My husband served in the military during the Clinton administration and during that time we were in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, ...etc. I too was one of those young gullible people who believed the media rhetoric and overlooked the abortion issue to vote for a "peace" that was never delivered. I quickly realized that there can be no peace without and end to abortion. One says more about our society and the state of our hearts than the other.

Published by: H.J. D'Cruz
Karachi Pakistan 10/29/2008 12:59 AM EST

I wish the law makers of every country who approve abortion have the mind to think the way Cardinal Egan and other right minded leaders think.

Published by: James
tampa/FL 10/28/2008 07:04 PM EST

Equating the Iraq war with abortion is laughable. War is always a huge shame of great proportion for lives are lost. How many American's have we lost in this war since 9/11 including the souls cowardly murdered by the terrorists on that supremely evil day of September 11, 2001? -Almost 3000 on 9/11 and since just over 7600 in American troops and allies. Of these lost, how many can anyone claim was truly innocent before God? Then look at the totals lost in the quiet of the "Women's Health" clinics at the hand of an abortionist? In American Planned Parenthood clinics (oxymoron) and other abortuaries across our land, there have been upward to 50,000,000 lost innocent babies; babies for which our beloved Lord created and called us to care for with great Love. The church teaches us this is a non-negotiable issue and we can't in any way shape or form support such intrinsically evil acts like Obama does. The church also teaches about just wars. So you disagree with the war, many do. I am not sure where I stand. There is still a debate about it being just. There is no debate about abortion. The truth will be known about Iraq and by God I sure hope this has not been all in vain. I suspect there will be evil intentions on each side of this political argument. Shamefully it is being exploited to confuse the masses about social justice by some in the church. What is more unjust? Easy answer---ABORTION!!!!

Published by: Dr. Gustavo Valadez
Corpus Christi, TX, USA 10/28/2008 05:12 PM EST

Rate: Bad

Cardinal Egan does not need to go as far back as the Nazis. What Bush is doing to our American soldiers in Iraq equates to abortion. How many of our young men and women have died for a cause that was falsely endorsed by the US because we "believed" in Bush. May God have mercy on his soul.

Published by: Michael Johns
Washington USA 10/28/2008 04:49 PM EST

Finally the leadership of the church is speaking our against the starkest evil to confront mankind. It is definitely better late than never. An ounce of prevention is worth tons of cure. It would be well advised for all of us to focus on the example our Lord gave us of the sacredness of family. As the family goes, so goes the neighborhood, community, country and finally the world at large. We should always be vigilant at keeping all members of a traditional family strong. That is what Jesus would do, and that is what we should do as well. May God continue to bless and lead Cardinal Egan.

Published by: Douglas Cook
Madison AL 10/28/2008 04:39 PM EST

Cardinal Egan, you sir are a true hero and soldier of Christ!

The Catholics who are proponents of justifying their support of a pro-abortion candidate use abstract strained “logic” (gobble gook) to support their views. They try to weave war, legal executions and the need for social welfare into their false arguments to justify a vote for abortion. Forgotten in all of this Boomer “logic” is the victim; a child made in God's image and likeness.

ABORTION KILLS THE MOST INNOCENT, PURE AND DEFENSELESS HUMAN GOD EVER CREATED EACH TIME IT IS PERFORMED!

For Caderock: "Catholics are listening to the Holy Spirit and do know the truth." The truth is: it is a Mortal sin to intentionally kill an absolutely innocent baby no matter what!

Cardinal; Thank You! Thank You!

Published by: Anthony Vasquez Sr.
Delray Beach, Fl. 33484 10/28/2008 04:37 PM EST

It is the responsibility of all christians to speak out against this evil in our nation. If we remain silent we are just as guilty.

Published by: Markus Goebel
Lexington, MA, USA 10/28/2008 04:19 PM EST

Thank you brave Cardinal Egan and may God bless you!

As a Bavarian German I agree wholeheartedly. Although I wish more priests and bishops and cardinals would make these strong points we all need to speak out.

May God lead the USA the right way and have mercy on all the Western societies that go so wrong on that fundamental issue.

Published by: Karen Sullivan
Rhinecliff/ NY/ USA 10/28/2008 04:16 PM EST

It might be worth remembering that Hitler was strongly "pro-life," at least in the sense that he was against abortion. As part of their pro-natalist policies, the Nazis established a Central Agency for the Struggle Against Homosexuality and Abortion, and they increased the numbers of prosecutions for abortion by 65 percent. If one should always support the candidate who opposes legalized abortion, without consideration of any other criteria, should one have supported Hitler against his more liberal Weimar-era opponents?

Published by: Fr. Jacek Mazur
Port Charlotte, FL 10/28/2008 03:35 PM EST

Cardinal is right to say that it 'continues to erode the honor of our nation.' i just wish he, and other Church dignitaries had the courage to say the same about the Iraq War.

Published by: Nan
Seip 10/28/2008 03:07 PM EST

AMEN!

Published by: Dolores Gonzalez
Palm Bay, FL USA 10/28/2008 12:49 PM EST

Thank you Cardinal Egan. You are brave and faithful! God Bless you!

Published by: Dan LaHood
Silver Spring MD 10/28/2008 12:12 PM EST

I wrote this after attending Pope Benedicts Mass at Nats Stadium in Washington. My wife and I are Lay Missionaries of Charity in Forest Glen Maryland.

Before Pope Benedict came to America to celebrate Mass in New York and Washington, it was revealed that as a young boy in Germany he had had a cousin with Down Syndrome. One day a Nazi doctor came and claimed his cousin for the Third Reich. Taken to be “cared for” at the “hospital” young Joseph Ratzinger never saw his cousin again: one of the host of “useless eaters” marked for extermination by that brutal regime.

My wife and I operate St. Joseph’s House, a daycare and respite care home for handicapped children. As it happened one of the children we care for, a wheelchair bound young lady, was chosen along with three other handicapped folks to carry the gifts up to the altar before the consecration at the Mass at Nationals Stadium in Washington D.C. on April 17, 2008. One of these was James, a 30ish man who works in the Officer’s Club at Andrews AFB. James has Down Syndrome. He was chosen to carry the large host which would become the Body of Christ lifted up before the assembled. As James with great ceremony advanced toward the Pope, his native enthusiasm overcame his reserve and he started to run. Simultaneously the Holy Father leapt from his chair and walked towards James with his arms outstretched. We have a picture of this moment which I cannot look at without teari

Published by: Michael Wyka
Floral City FL USA 10/28/2008 12:07 PM EST

God bless you, Cardinal Egan, and God have mercy on this nation.

Published by: carderock
Hot Springs, VA, USA 10/28/2008 11:51 AM EST

Rate: Regular

Cardinal Egan gives the obvious response to anyone looking at abortion as the "killing of human life". Too bad we're not voting either for or against abortion. Voting for the "someday" of a Supreme Court Justice that will overturn Roe v Wade is a bait and switch ploy by the Republicans who claim to speak for the Catholic Church. However, Catholics are listening to the Holy Spririt and do know the truth. Using our natural repulsion as a smokescreen to avoid other issues that Americans are in fact voting on, drowns out the much needed discussion of War in Iraq and global domination by oil interests. That's the real agenda of the Nazis: to take over our institutions and companies in a fascistic takeover where Americans are working for the Company Store and breeding our children for their war machine. The real Pro-Lifers like Kmiec who are trying to overturn Roe v Wade in the Supreme Court are supporting Obama.

Published by: Maureen Sabo
St. Johns, Mi. 48879 10/28/2008 11:50 AM EST

Yes, yes, yes, but why aren't we hearing it from some of our parish priests and Bishops. Don't they have a duty to lead their sheep in this election and make some strong points.....

Published by: Frank Martin
Phoenix/AZ/USA 10/28/2008 10:33 AM EST

Bravo, Cardinal!

It would be wonderful if ALL our Bishops spoke in unison in this manner.

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