Cardinal O’Malley explains the pope’s silence on abortion

The Deacon's Bench ^ | August 7, 2013 | Deacon Greg Kandra

[NYer]

From National Catholic Reporter:

Pope Francis has not mentioned traditional hot-button Catholic issues like abortion because he prefers to emphasize that Catholics “love people” and are not “mean or old-fashioned,” Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley has said.

O’Malley, the only North American Francis asked to serve on a group of eight cardinals advising him on reforming the church, made the comments during a keynote address Tuesday in San Antonio at the annual convention of the Knights of Columbus.

“Some people think that the Holy Father should talk more about abortion,” O’Malley told approximately 2,000 attendees, according to a copy of the remarks posted online.

“I think he speaks of love and mercy to give people the context for the Church’s teaching on abortion,” he continued. “We oppose abortion, not because we are mean or old fashioned, but because we love people. And that is what we must show the world.”

O’Malley’s focus on explaining the pope’s lack of abortion talk may be seen by some as a reaction by the cardinal to recent reports that some American Catholics have been underwhelmed by the new pope’s emphases, which have also not highlighted other more controversial Catholic teachings on issues like gay marriage or divorce and remarriage.

From text posted on the Knights of Columbus website:

Recently I read about an American relief worker in Africa, who reported on being at a camp for a food distribution line, it was very chaotic, even scary. He could see that they were running out of food and that these starving people were desperate. At the end of the line, the last person was a little nine year old girl. All that was left was one banana. They handed it to her. She peeled the banana and gave half each to her younger brother and sister. Then she licked the banana peel. The relief worker said at that moment he began to believe in God.

We must be better people; we must love all people, even those who advocate abortion. It is only if we love them that we will be able to help them discover the sacredness of the life of an unborn child. Only love and mercy will open hearts that have been hardened by the individualism of our age.

…The Church’s teaching is about loving and caring for everyone. In his talk to the Brazilian bishops last week, Pope Francis said: “We need a Church capable of rediscovering the maternal womb of mercy. Without mercy we have little chance nowadays of entering the world of wounded persons in need of understanding, forgiveness and love.” The Holy Father alludes to Cardinal Kasper’s work on mercy when he says that mercy without truth would be consolation without honesty and is empty chatter.

On the other hand, however, the truth without mercy would be cold, offputting and ready to wound. The truth isn’t a wet rag that you throw in someone’s face, but a warm cape that you wrap around a person, to protect and strengthen them.

Read the rest of the speech.

[HoosierDammit]

Well said, Mrs. D. It’s hillarious how the media left keeps doing this selective editing, and we keep lapping up their drivel.

I’m one of many Catholic FReepers who is grateful for Pope Francis and his approach to evangelization in the modern world. He ticks off the left and the right in pretty equal measure, which is fine by me. And yes, he believes in social justice, to the same level that has been taught since the Sermon on the Mount - which includes both love for the unborn AND love for the lowest among us. Why the two can’t go hand in hand I’ll never know.

[STJPII]

Did love stop the Nazis from exterminating Jews? Did love stop the KKK from lynching? Did love stop John the Baptist from calling Herrod an adulterer? Complete insanity.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"...includes both love for the unborn AND love for the lowest among us. Why the two can’t go hand in hand I’ll never know."

II'm with you. Hoosier. Mother Teresa seemed to be able o combine all the important stuff in one obstinate (but humble) package.

[STJPII]

Mother Teresa said the fruit of abortion is nuclear war.

[steve86]

which includes both love for the unborn AND love for the lowest among us. Why the two can’t go hand in hand I’ll never know.

If you're intimating that those of us from the liturgical and socially conservative right who aren't particularly infatuated with the new pope don't profess both love for the unborn and love for the poor, you're wrong.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Mother Teresa hit the nail on the head.

[Heart-Rest]

"Mother Teresa hit the nail on the head."

I agree.

And the papal reign of Pope Francis is still in its infancy, and I would never foolishly presume to think he needs my advice on how to "do his job".

However, if he had a blog, and asked for genuine feedback and suggestions from the lowest of the common laity (such as me), I think I would tell him this.

1. If you talk to the western "main stream media", and you wax eloquently about the need for Christians to love all fellow sinners (including homo priests), you should immediately follow that with the clarification that such priests should preserve their chastity, and not act on their homosexual urges and temptations.    (They should "Go and sin no more", just like all other sinners should do.)

(After he neglected to make that clarification in his recent interviews, it took what seemed like a huge old-fashioned "spin team" to truthfully make it clear that what he had said was in no way excusing sinful behaviors, nor was it changing any Catholic teachings.)

2. I would also gently point out to him that Blessed Mother Teresa never required anyone to explain her silence about the abortion issue, as she did not remain silent about abortion.

Even in front of presidents and other powerful people, she would stretch to her full five feet tall stature (maybe), and preach in no uncertain or vague terms about the evils of abortion.

In the face of such horrific evil and malevolent atrocity (with far more people being murdered by abortions than by the Nazis, for example), she never shied away from plainly and boldly telling the truth about abortion and calling for the end of abortion.

No one could accuse Blessed Mother Teresa of maintaining silence about one of the biggest horrors of our times.

May God bless Pope Francis.

[Tax-chick]

Why let the text get in the way of a good “AAAAAAAAAGHHH!”?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

If this Cardinal is a window to the Pope, then I would conclude that Francis is determined to pursue a rebranding of the RCC. I suspect the social-justice language, therefore, is made to make Roman Catholicism appear more acceptable to infidels and commies.

[GeronL]

All of the big, well-known branches of Christianity will embrace the anti-Christ before the end comes.

[piusv]

Doesn’t change a thing for me. He is still saying that we shouldn’t speak of abortion because we must show how much we love, not because we are mean and old-fashioned. He is certainly implying (at least) that to speak of abortion outright is to make others think we are mean and old-fashioned.

This is just another example of the Church hierarchy caring more about what others think of the Church than boldly proclaiming the meany, traditional Truth.

[Alex Murphy]

O’Malley, the only North American Francis asked to serve on a group of eight cardinals advising him on reforming the church, made the comments during a keynote address Tuesday in San Antonio at the annual convention of the Knights of Columbus. “Some people think that the Holy Father should talk more about abortion,” O’Malley told approximately 2,000 attendees, according to a copy of the remarks posted online. “I think he speaks of love and mercy to give people the context for the Church’s teaching on abortion,” he continued. “We oppose abortion, not because we are mean or old fashioned, but because we love people. And that is what we must show the world.”

It's always troubling to me when Person B steps in, and claims to know what Person A meant. I interpret such statements as a form of crowd control, trying to give Person A an out w/o actually speaking for them.

[sitetest]

Good post. The pope should put you on retainer.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"He is still saying that we shouldn’t speak of abortion..."

Except that he didn't say that.

[BlatherNaut]

Perhaps Cardinal O'Malley should be doing some explaining of his own, rather than spending his time running lame interference for the pope. Perhaps he might enlighten us as to why the Archdiocese of Boston's scandalous association with Jack Connors is acceptable to him. Connors is an Obama fundraiser who's raised millions, was also chosen as Chairman of the archdiocese’s Campaign for Catholic Schools, and is a member of the archdiocese’s Finance Council.

"The fundraisers were the latest barb for area Catholic activists, who have decried Connors’ simultaneous ties with the Archdiocese of Boston and the progressive political and social world – including the abortion industry".

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/boston-catholics-call-on-archdiocese-to-end-relationship-with-obama-backing

[MEGoody]

Unless the Pope had been directly asked about abortion or makes some statement that is in conflict with the existing church position on abortion (neither of which is true as far as I know), then why would anyone even be concerned? Obviously, the position of the Catholic Church is that life is sacred and abortion is wrong. I would expect that the Pope would hold that same position.

[rbmillerjr]

Ironically, one of the bigger problems in the Church is that half of the people in the pews, think it is just hunky dory to vote and support for politicians who are aggressive abortion worshipers.

So, our hierarchy will now be even nicer about the abortion issue.

Wow, I think just the opposite message would be our message. We should be defending the those who cannot defend themselves.

[STJPII]

Great point regarding Mother Teresa never remaining silent on abortion, even in front of world leaders.

[piusv]

Of course it’s an out. The issue is that Pope Francis did not speak about abortion. He admitted it himself in an interview.

And some folks have a need to defend it. And then some folks have a need to defend those that defend it.

I wish folks would stop with the never-ending excuses.

[kearnyirish2]

“Cardinal O’Malley sounds like so many in the American Catholic hierarchy who have no morals or faith and have nothing but contempt for the millions of faithful Catholics who contribute their time, talent and treasure to the Catholic Church.”

How is that working out for them? I and many people I know have stopped giving all three as they shut down our schools and were complicit in Obama’s election; now I fulfill my sacramental obligations while my taxes take care of my financial obligations to feed/house/clothe the poor.