Pro-Life Leaders Shocked at Vatican Spokesman "Appreciating" Obama Peace Prize

VATICAN CITY, October 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi has reacted to the Nobel Peace prize being awarded to President Barack Obama saying that the news "was greeted with appreciation at the Vatican in light of the president's demonstrated commitment to promoting peace on an international level and, in particular, in recently promoting nuclear disarmament."

Given President Obama's vigorous support for abortion, pro-life leaders reacted with shock and dismay to the reaction by the Vatican spokesman.

One pro-life leader, who wished to remain anonymous, told LifeSiteNews.com, "If Obama was good on international peace and nuclear disarmament but favored the killing of Jews, its not likely he would get either the Noble Peace Prize or be praised by the Vatican."

Human Life International President Fr. Tom Euteneuer reacted to Lombardi's statement saying, "I really don't know who Fr. Lombardi is speaking for. The pope is not mentioned and I am glad for that." Euteneuer who is currently at a conference in Germany added: "Fr. Lombardi must have forgotten that Pope John Paul II was not granted the Peace Prize in 24 years of peace-making around the world because the leftists on the Nobel Committee obviously don't give this Prize for actual results of peace."

American Life League President Judie Brown called Lombardi's statement "an insult to every practicing Catholic but at a more dramatic level a slap at Mother Teresa… who said 'the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion.'" Brown, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said that she was "outraged" by Lombardi's statement and called on Pope Benedict XVI "to deal with" Lombardi "once and for all".

This is the latest of the seemingly pro-Obama statements that have come from left-leaning circles in the Vatican. It follows public comments from the editor-in-chief of L'Osservatore Romano Gian Maria Vian saying that Obama is not "pro-abortion" but "rather, pro-choice."

In July, Swiss Cardinal Georges Cottier, former theologian of the papal household under Pope John Paul II and currently an influential adviser in the Vatican appeared to downplay the pastoral concerns of the American Bishops over President Barack Obama giving the commencement address to the University of Notre Dame's Class of 2009 and receiving an award.

Chicago Cardinal Francis George also commented on the controversy saying: "L'Osservatore Romano - it is true - may have written a dozen lines in favor of Obama, some cardinal may have spoken in enthusiastic terms of the current American administration, but beyond the journalistic hype one point remains: the Church cannot betray itself."

The Cottier article recently garnered a politic but pointed response from Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput. "When Notre Dame's local bishop vigorously disagrees with the appearance of any speaker, and some 80 other bishops and 300,000 laypeople around the country publicly support the local bishop, then reasonable people must infer that a real problem exists with the speaker - or at least with his appearance at the disputed event," wrote Chaput. "Reasonable people might further choose to defer to the judgment of those Catholic pastors closest to the controversy."

See the complete front page of the October 10 L'Osservatore Romano

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Commentary: Vatican Press Office Director Fr. Lombardi - Six Strikes but He's Still not Out

She is exactly right!

1 posted on 10/09/2009 4:08:26 PM PDT by wagglebee

To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; Salvation; 8mmMauser

2 posted on 10/09/2009 4:09:07 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)

To: NYer; Pyro7480

3 posted on 10/09/2009 4:10:01 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)

The World Over is going to be really interesting tonight.

4 posted on 10/09/2009 4:10:26 PM PDT by mware (F-R-E-E, that spells free. Free Republic.com baby.)

To: 185JHP; 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Albion Wilde; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; ...

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5 posted on 10/09/2009 4:10:42 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)

“Euteneuer who is currently at a conference in Germany added: ‘Fr. Lombardi must have forgotten that Pope John Paul II was not granted the Peace Prize in 24 years of peace-making around the world because the leftists on the Nobel Committee obviously don’t give this Prize for actual results of peace.’”

Nailed it!

6 posted on 10/09/2009 4:11:38 PM PDT by piytar (Zero pimping propaganda on all SRM channels at once: Big Brother in 2009! NRA Lifetime Member)

The Vatican though it has spoken of pro-life causes for years is essentially a socialist state. Socialism comes first for socialists. It must have something to do with fundraising.

7 posted on 10/09/2009 4:12:10 PM PDT by Theodore R.

I cannot agree more. Can somebody please put a muzzle on these people.

The Pope should publicly chastise such a statement.

By the way, I love Father Euteneur. He is the absolute best!

8 posted on 10/09/2009 4:12:40 PM PDT by Mrs. Frogjerk

Pro-life Catholics should recognize that the Vatican most certainly is acknowledging that they have a problem in Obama. They are, IHO, appearing to be conciliatory in order to placate the egos of the Obamites.

9 posted on 10/09/2009 4:14:11 PM PDT by Nachum (The complete Obama list at www.nachumlist.com)

Breaking!--The Norwegian Nobel Committee Wins 2009 Award for Preemptive Patronization.

Better known as butt kissing award--Notre Dame deeply saddened at loss.

It's a bribe baby!

10 posted on 10/09/2009 4:15:56 PM PDT by Earthdweller (Harvard won the election again...so what's the problem.......?)

Reality demands we face an uncomfortable fact. No offense to the Mother Church, and acknowledging the excellence of B-16 and JP-II, nevertheless the Vatican is a lot like Inside-the-beltway Washington: an irresistable temptation and attraction for careerists, ambitious sociopaths, and weasels of all sorts.

One sleazeball's suckup-piece does not a Papal edict make.

11 posted on 10/09/2009 4:20:56 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard (Truth--The liberal's Kryptonite)

To: Mrs. Frogjerk

I cannot agree more. Can somebody please put a muzzle on these people. The Pope should publicly chastise such a statement. By the way, I love Father Euteneur. He is the absolute best!

I'm with you! Two of my heroes: Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer. (Protect him, Mother, with your prayers.)

12 posted on 10/09/2009 4:21:53 PM PDT by mlizzy ("It is impossible to walk rapidly and be unhappy" --Mother Teresa of Calcutta.)

the president's demonstrated commitment to promoting peace on an international level and, in particular, in recently promoting nuclear disarmament."

Am I to understand that Lombardi is in favor of disarming Iran?

"If Obama was good on international peace and nuclear disarmament but favored the killing of Jews, its not likely he would get either the Noble Peace Prize or be praised by the Vatican."

Half right. I wouldn't be so sure about the Nobel committee.

"Fr. Lombardi must have forgotten that Pope John Paul II was not granted the Peace Prize in 24 years of peace-making around the world because the leftists on the Nobel Committee obviously don't give this Prize for actual results of peace."

Exactly.

13 posted on 10/09/2009 4:23:24 PM PDT by marron

From Worldnetdaily:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=112438

“Bestowing the Nobel Prize on the most rabid pro-abortion president in history is a direct slap in the face to past recipient, Mother Teresa of Calcutta who said, upon receiving her Nobel Peace Prize: ‘the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing – direct murder by the mother herself.’” Brown said. “In awarding the prize to Obama, the Nobel Committee is announcing that abortion is the cornerstone of a hellish ‘peace’ – the damning silence of 51 million aborted children in the United States alone.”

She concluded, “The Nobel Committee has bestowed the ‘Peace Prize’ on a man dedicated to war in the womb.”

14 posted on 10/09/2009 4:25:41 PM PDT by Lesforlife ("For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb . . ." Psalm 139:13)

What part of an abortion is "peaceful" Fr. Lombardi?

Aborted Angel Baby

15 posted on 10/09/2009 4:30:06 PM PDT by mlizzy ("It is impossible to walk rapidly and be unhappy" --Mother Teresa of Calcutta.)

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

16 posted on 10/09/2009 4:42:17 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)

Euteneuer is one of the best representatives of how a Catholic should live the faith I have every encountered.

17 posted on 10/09/2009 4:52:16 PM PDT by DesignerChick

It just confirms what we’ve been knowing for ages: suck-ups and weasels in the Vatican.

Abp Chaput has been speaking out on this with increasing vehemence. He’s sane. He’s steady. He’s in touch with reality, for Christ’s sake. I wish we could furnish him with a great big megaphone.

18 posted on 10/09/2009 4:56:26 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("The floor of hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." St. John Chrysostom, Bishop)

King Amamabo and Rome have somethings in common? like wanting absolute power.

19 posted on 10/09/2009 5:00:38 PM PDT by the_daug

I couldn’t agree more!

20 posted on 10/09/2009 5:02:29 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)

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