Posted on 06/03/2007 11:52:18 PM PDT by monomaniac
WESTMINSTER, UK, June 1, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The most senior prelate in the Catholic Church in England and Wales in a statement today, told Catholic politicians that politicians supporting abortion must “educate themselves about the teachings of the Church” on the sanctity of life and go to confession before receiving Holy Communion.
In preparation for the UK Church’s Day of Life, July 1, Cormac Cardinal Murphy O’Connor said that the Church holds all human life to have been created in the image and likeness of God.
“This means that all life is sacred, with value and meaning at every stage and in every condition,” he said. “It is for this reason that the Church strongly opposes abortion because it is the taking of an innocent human life.”
Following the lead of some US bishops who have warned Catholic politicians not to receive Communion while supporting abortion “rights” Murphy O’Connor said, “The long-standing tradition of the Church teaches that anyone who freely and knowingly commits a serious wrong (that is, a mortal sin) should approach the Eucharist only after receiving faithfully the Sacrament of Penance (Confession).”
Murphy O’Connor stopped short of saying that support for legal abortion itself constitutes a mortal sin, but implied that such support is inconsistent with being a faithful Catholic, for which the reception of Communion is considered the supreme sign.
The Cardinal urged Catholics “who hold positions of public responsibility” to “seek pastoral advice” in order to make “informed decisions with consistency and integrity.”
The Cardinal Archbishop of Edinburgh, Kieth O’Brien had even stronger words, calling abortion an “unspeakable crime” and denounced the justifications for the legalization of abortion in 1967 as “a pack of lies.”
This summer’s Day of Life marks 40 years of legalized abortion in Britain. O’Brien said, “I urge politicians to have no truck with the evil trade of abortion. For those at Westminster this means findings means of overthrowing the legislation which makes the killing possible.”
Britain has one of the highest rates of abortion in the western world, with one fourth of pregnancies ending in abortion.
I couldn’t agree with him more - if you want to be a catholic, stick to the rules or leave.
I do however wish he would shut up when it comes to his calls for an amnesty for illegal immigrants. The catholic church in the UK is just about the only sizeable organisation calling for this madness - thank God they only represent 8% of the country.
Do catholic freepers on here agree with his sentiments that if you are a good catholic you must support an amnesty?
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