Church Defends Life
Scottish Cardinal calls 1967 Abortion Act pack of lies and warns Catholic politicians
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Cardinal Keith O'Brien

Edinburgh, United Kingdom, May 31, 2007 / 10:23 am (CNA).- Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the highest ranking prelate in Scotland, spoke out strongly against the evils of abortion this afternoon. He also issued a warning to Catholic politicians, as well as any Catholic, who in any way cooperates in encouraging or allowing abortion.

The occasion for the cardinal’s address was the 40 year anniversary of the passage of the 1967 abortion act in Scotland, which legalized abortion.

Noting how today’s reading comes from the feast of the Visitation, the cardinal urged his flock to adopt Mary’s attitude of accepting new life with joy.

“The joy of that meeting holds out to us the message of delight that should accompany every pregnancy. With every life conceived God acts directly to create a new and unique human being, a person destined to life everlasting.”

However, the opposite reaction is often how people welcome news of an unplanned pregnancy, said O’Brien.
 
The leader of the Church in Scotland detailed how the legalization of abortion has marred the country. “In those 40 years the loss of life has been staggering. Around 7 million lives have been ended as a consequence of that one piece of legislation…the scale of the killing is beyond our grasp. In Scotland we kill the equivalent of a classroom full of school children every day.”

The prelate also lamented the way that the 1967 law was presented. “We were told that backstreet abortions were killing women and had to be decriminalised. We were told abortion would only be used in extreme cases. We were told medical scrutiny would be rigorous. We were told a pack of lies and misinformation masquerading as compassion and truth.”

The Cardinal said that he is concerned not only with the lives that have been lost, but also with the lives being led by the members of his flock.

Speaking to politicians he said, “I speak most especially to those who claim to be Catholic. I ask them to examine their consciences and discern if they are playing any part in sustaining this social evil. I remind them to avoid cooperating in the unspeakable crime of abortion and the barrier such cooperation erects to receiving Holy Communion. As St. Paul warns us “whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”

O’Brien concluded by exhorting Christians to work to build a society that does not tolerate attacks on innocent and defenseless life. He also noted signs of hope in the battle to protect life, “earlier this month it was reported that many doctors are no longer willing to cooperate in abortion. They know, better than most, the humanity of the unborn.”

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Níall
Scotland 06/12/2007 05:04 PM EST
Breda: "If I had an abortion I would automatically be excommunicated."

Really? Last I knew it, confession was still catholic dogma.

Reconciliation is available for any "one-off" sin, but you can't be reconciled with God if you intend to continue to be party to sin, as politicians who support abortion are; and if you're not reconciled with God, you of course can't be in communion with God.
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Published by: breda
Ireland 06/01/2007 01:08 PM EST
If I had an abortion I would automatically be excommunicated. I and many need to know how come these Elitists who are better educated and richer than the general population can encourage the less fortunate to commit murder, but they are not excommunicated? Does the Church practise "do as I say but not as I do"? Is not the deceiver and enabler more dangerous and sinful than the desperate sinner? I know that each person is responsible for their choices, but surely the enablers are just as guilty. Why won't the Church have the courage to enforce this. Is the kingdom of man more important than the Kingdom of God?

Why not have the courage to call all the participants by the same name? If all repent all will be forgiven. But up till now not one Bishop, Priest or Cardinal has had the BALLS to declare the enablers and practitioners even more guilty than desperate unmarried girls.

This does not excuse married women who are just self centered and greedy.
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Published by: HMacK
Brunei 06/01/2007 05:36 AM EST
The whole abortion business is a financial racket built on lies, deceit and perjury. Many of its earlier proponenets have seen the light, converted and oppose it - viz - Dr Nathanson and Roe among significant others. This act of barbarity against human life in the mother's womb is proof that paganism is returning very strongly in a decaying western culture. The psychological harm inflicted on women who succumb to the abortionist's propaganda is an immense social cost whose price is impossible to estimate but whose effects can be witnessed in the lack of families and waning family life fragmenting our society from within. Many Catholics, unfortunately, have fallen for the same propaganda.
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Published by: Fr. Juan Manuel Serra
Catalonia, Spain 05/31/2007 03:42 PM EST
Congratulations to Cardinal O'Brian.
Christians, for how much longer will we remain silent in the face of so much INHUMANITY OF TODAY’S PAGANISM.


GINEMEDEX, BARCELONA, CATALONIA, SPAIN: AN ABORTION CLINIC (A MORAL CASE)
Recently denounced by Danish public TV, and in 2004 by English journalists for doing, ILLEGAL ABORTIONS)
...
Polemical Record
The abortionist activities of the director of this clinic (Dr. Carlos Morin) are not at all a thing of the present. He started in Alicante (Spanish Eastern Coast) quite a few years ago. He has also provoked controversies for spreading his activities. For instance, on the month of October, 2003, the director for this clinic invited 230 personalities of the sector dedicated to the practice of abortions, to the "First Multicultural International Simposium of Reproductive Health", held at the Melià Hotel of Barcelona. The program offered to do 50 abortions live, and the possibility "to carry out an intervention hands on, that is, to participate physically in a 'voluntary interruption of the pregnancy' - with the best doctors in Reproductive Health”. The abortions were practiced on Friday, October, the 17th, 2003, between five and seven of the afternoon, as the program on the web page explains, to 30 pregnant patients of 0 to 3 months; 15 patients of 3 to 6 months and 5 more women whoe were more or less close to fulfilling the sixth month of gestation.
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Published by: ELENA SANCHEZ
MIAMI, FLORIDA 05/31/2007 02:51 PM EST
Cardinal O'Brien's address on defending life is a very positive message and example to all Cardinals, catholics, and Christian around the world and specially to DOCTORS AS THEY HAVE BECOME SINNERS, SLAVES AND GREEDY ABOUT MONEY BY PRFORMING ABORTIONS.
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