Catholics Can't Back Laws Contrary to Life, Insists Pope

Code: ZE04022909
Date: 2004-02-29

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 29, 2004 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II reminded the faithful that a lawmaker who considers himself a Catholic cannot support laws that are against life or marriage.

"I think it is opportune to recall that the lawmaker, and the Catholic lawmaker in particular, cannot contribute to formulate or approve laws contrary to the first and essential norms that regulate moral life," the Pope said when receiving Carlos Luis Custer, Argentina's new ambassador to the Holy See.

These principles, the Holy Father indicated, are "expression of the highest values of the human person and proceed, ultimately, from God, supreme lawmaker."

John Paul II called for respect for the "value of human life itself," from the moment of conception. "No one can claim for himself the power of violating" the right to life, he said.

The "other pillar of society" that every lawmaker must defend "is marriage, union of a man and a woman, open to life, which gives place to the natural institution of the family," the Pope added.

How many other U.S. Bishops are hearing and heeding the words of our Holy Father?

The Holy Father stated that: a lawmaker who considers himself a Catholic cannot support laws that are against life or marriage.

Certainly a bishop would not be out of line then for stating that: a lawmaker who supports laws against life or marriage cannot consider himself Catholic...

The implications are that this person has abandoned the faith, at least to some extent and would not be properly disposed to receive the Sacraments, except for the Sacraments of Healing. Seems pretty clear cut...Why then do some want to complicate simple things?