Vatican Bioethicist Refuses to Resign Over Compassion for 9-yr-old Brazilian Rape Victim's Abortion

[BurtWorm]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/23/renato-fisichella-vatican_n_472928.html

...

Monsignor Renato Fisichella told The Associated Press he refused to respond to five members of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life who questioned his suitability to lead the institution.

...




Reached Monday at home, Fisichella refused to respond to the call for resignation and dismissed the matter entirely, saying: "I won't respond to these people. Too much space already has been given to them."

In his March 15 article in L'Osservatore Romano, Fisichella stressed that abortion is always "bad." But he said the quick and public proclamation of excommunication of the Brazilian bishops "unfortunately hurts the credibility of our teaching, which appears in the eyes of many as insensitive, incomprehensible and lacking mercy."

He argued for respect for the Catholic doctors' wrenching decision.

Writing as if he were addressing the girl, Fisichella said: "There are others who merit excommunication and our pardon, not those who have allowed you to live and have helped you to regain hope and trust."

Monsignor Michel Schooyans, an academy member and emeritus professor at Belgium's Louvain University, said Fisischella had fallen into the trap of "bogus compassion," in supporting the doctors.

"Instead of expressing compassion for the young and innocent victims, 'compassion' is extended to those who have inflicted immense harm on these victims,'" Schooyans wrote last month.

Schooyans didn't attend last week's meeting but signed the statement calling for Fisichella's resignation.

[Hannah Bell]

1. "Too much space already has been given to them." quite so.

[BurtWorm]

2. Not enough space has been given to Fisichella, however.

[Hannah Bell]

3. didn't mean to imply it had, sorry if i gave that impression.

[BurtWorm]

4. I guess I was assuming you had unrec'd the thread.

Sometimes those things are so confusing!

[Hannah Bell]

10. nope, not me.

[chaplainM]

5. Rapist of 9-year-old remains in good standing with Vatican. eom

[BurtWorm]

6. Saints be praised.

Will miracles never cease?

[Maru Kitteh]

8. Raping little kids for years on end is something they can relate to, ya know?

Protecting the lives and rights of living females, not so much.

[Odin2005]

7. The RCC: The cult of Rapists, Child Molestors, and Misogynists.

[rebecca_herman]

9. How long before he gets excommunicated, I wonder

I respect him for standing up for his beliefs but I doubt the Catholic Church will.

[immoderate]

11. I forget. How many is a brazilian?

:shrug:

--imm