Pope Indicates He'll Follow John Paul's Tough Stands on Abortion,Euthanasia

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBY3EFIG8E.html

ROME (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI indicated Saturday he will stick to Pope John Paul II's unwavering stands against abortion and euthanasia, saying pontiffs must resist attempts to "water down" Roman Catholic teaching.

Benedict outlined his vision of his papacy in a homily during a ceremony in which he took his place on a marble-and-mosaic throne in the ancient Roman basilica of St. John in Lateran. The ceremony is the last to formally mark Benedict's assumption of the papacy.

The pope "must not proclaim his own ideas, but ever link himself and the church to obedience to the word of God, when faced with all attempts of adaptation or of watering down, as with all opportunism," Benedict said.

That's what Pope John Paul II did when he "underlined in an unequivocal way, the inviolability of human beings, the inviolability of human life from conception to natural death," Benedict said to ringing applause from the congregation.

more

How does he discuss abortion and euthanasia without discussing the death penalty and over 100,000 innocent Iraqi civilians killed in the same breath? Oh, thats right. The Republicans are all for the death penalty and killing Iraqi innocents so naturally he won't mention that.

[ananda]

1. a better name..

.. would be Pope Maledict.

What an asshole!

Sue

[Betty]

2. So I'm sure Catholic politicians who support the death penalty

will be denied communion. I look forward to that.

[susanna]

13. You and me both.

I'm waiting with bated breath for that myself. I've also been waiting for some time for politicians who support "unjust" wars to be denied their place at Christ's table...

[beyurslf]

3. Why do they change their names and how does someone

start learning to reply to a new name at 78yo? I am Marcus and I don't even turn to Mark let alone some whole new name.

[Warpy]

6. It started with the newly elected Pope Mercury

and it was considered unseemly for a Pope to be called by the name of a hated Roman god, so he switched his name to something more palatable.

It's been the tradition ever since.

I suppose those old men will eventually catch up to modern science and how in many cases we're prolonging death, not life. It should take them another 400 years or so (same as with Galileo), but I'm sure they'll come around right on schedule.

[alcuno]

4. Euthansia.

The Church will never change its stand on abortion (the sin part, not the legal part) and I'm okay with that. But I'm REAL tired of hearing Republicans lie and say that Democrats support euthanasia.

[DanCa]

5. War !

How does he discuss abortion and euthanasia without discussing the death penalty and over 100,000 innocent Iraqi civilians killed in the same breath? Oh, thats right. The Republicans are all for the death penalty and killing Iraqi innocents so naturally he won't mention that.

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the sile

Well if I ever get the displeasure to meet the demented gnome pope rat I would ask him about the unborn and human babies that get nailed by coallateral damage. These Fristians make me ill.

[Gloria]

7. The head of the Catholic publication here in the US--Reese--

was finally shoved out. He resigned--heard it on the BBC. He was pressured by Ratz for a long time because the magazine had discussion about abortion, etc. from both sides.

[Mz Pip]

9. He was a Jesuit

and somewhat liberal. That seems to be a big no-no these days.

What is worse? Moral relativism or moral certitude? Being flexible and open minded and compassionate seems to be justification for condemnation these days.

We seem to be entering another dark ages. :scared:

Mz Pip
:dem:

[davidinalameda]

10. do you have a link to this

I'd like to see the story

[CHIMO]

11. Here iIs A Link

Editor of Catholic magazine sacked by the Vatican
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1451628

[roughandtumble]

8. Pope Rat comes out of the shadows of JPs Alzheimer's

to continue the intolerance.

If religion is not about helping the poor and less fortunate, it always seems to embrace control and power.

[applegrove]

12. Did they drop 'the death penalty' from their memo? What about

the death penalty? Why so silent on that? I mean how many people did Bush Jr. personally watch over as they were executed?

I say put the freaks in prison, give them a task to do, and lock the door if they are so bad.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. Pope to defend faith against fashion

May 08, 2005

POPE Benedict has pledged to follow the strict line of his predecessor and defend traditional Catholic teachings from "fashionable" ideas that threaten to destroy the faith.

In his first sermon at St John's in Lateran, his cathedral as the Bishop of Rome, the former cardinal Joseph Ratzinger confirmed expectations that he would maintain Pope John Paul's conservative stance on issues such as homosexuality and abortion.

A pope's duty, he said, "is to ensure the word (of God) remains present in its greatness and resounds in its purity so that it is not shattered by constant changes in fashion".

The Church is battling moves in many Western countries towards policies such as allowing gay marriage and euthanasia. The Pope made clear he would stand firm against anything that weakened traditional teachings.

"(A pope) must constantly bind himself and the Church to the obedience of the word of God in the face of all the attempts to adapt it or water it down," he told the congregation.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15217759%255E23109,00.html


Traditionals teachings? Whose traditions? The traditions of Jesus or the men who took over the church and brought us the Dark Ages?

[Demit]

15. Yes, equal rights is all the rage in some circles! Quite the fashion.

Except some people think it's a classic and isn't going to fade away.

[murielm99]

16. Yikes! The fashion police!

:evilgrin:

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. Now come on

everyone knows that most of those fashion designers are gay.

[xchrom]

18. indeed, just check out those hats he wears.

boy that reminds of the old talulah bankhead joke.

pope walking down church aisle swinging sensor -- talulah -- martini in hand says -- '' fabulous dress darling -- but your purse is on fire.''

[sundancekid]

21. the image alone, dahlink, just made my morning LOL & thank you

pope non-fashionista is turning himself into an irrelevant "me2likeJP2" and THAT is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO yesterday, dahlink, that even the nuts are on fire!

[TomClash]

19. Whose fashionable ideas?

The ideas of Rousseau, Jefferson, Descartes, Voltaire, Paine, Marx, Darwin, Eistein, Feynman, Derrida, etc.?

Jesus is surely laughing at this one. When he told Peter he was the rock upon which he shall build his church he did not mean a giant boulder designed to burden mankind.

[DrRang]

20. It's the doctrine that changes fashion

Many of the disputed doctrines, like papal infallibility, aren't some ancient tradition that originated with Jesus, but stuff the church cooked up in the 19th century. Obviously, the church wasn't banning contraception before effective contraception existed, and priests were allowed to marry in medieval times.