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Canadian Bishop Blasts Group for Using Graphic Abortion Images

Our hat is tipped to Pope Benedict XVI for his statement that politicians who vote for abortion are automatically “excommunicated.” While this is not something new, but the teaching of the church for hundreds of years, it is a reminder that any involvement in abortion, does carry the penalty of excommunication.

Benedict the Brave

The fact that Pope Benedict reiterated it during his visit to Brazil is significant. And the fact that he roiled the people of Brazil and all of Latin America—right into the legislative chambers of Mexico City where abortion has just been made legal—is a huge leap ahead in our fight against abortion.

He said excommunication isn’t arbitrary; but part of the Code of Canon Law, adding that “the killing of an innocent human child is incompatible with going into communion in the body of Christ.”

While the people’s spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi tried to play down the gravity of his statement, he later had to issue a statement by the Pope that confirmed his earlier statement, to wit: “Legislative action in favor of abortion is incompatible with participation in the Eucharist.”

While abortion is not even on the Pope’s agenda during his visit to Brazil, he began his visit with this strong comment, indicating the importance he places on abortion.

Our hope is that this message reaches Bishops in the US who are too skittish to follow the Church’s clear and constant teaching that abortion is one of the few excommunicable sins which require special permission in confession before absolution may be given. Currently this permission resides with the priest, but in times past it had to be given by the Pope, and later the local ordinary to indicate the gravity of this sin.

Since excommunication is incurred automatically there is no way to avoid it: those who take part in abortion are cut off from the sacraments and from salvation, if they remain obstinate and do not confess the sin and seek absolution. This applies everywhere, even right here in Illinois. Thank you, your Holiness.

Bishop Blasts Use of Graphic Images

But despite the Holy Father’s strong statement on the seriousness of abortion, a bishop in Calgary, Fred Henry, has spoken out against even showing the graphic pictures of abortion. He says he is uneasy about showing them and he thinks this approach does harm.

While he said there is nothing morally objectionable about showing the pictures, and once even praised those who show them as a strong, clear and articulate presentation on behalf of life, he now says they suggest that “the end justifies the means. In no way,” he now says, “may these pictures be construed as healing, nor can the project be described as ‘tough love’ it does more harm than good to the pro-life cause.”

The group he is referring to so harshly is GAP, the Genocide Awareness Project, which visits college and university campuses with professional speakers and graphic signs of abortion, showing other historic genocides, such as the killing of Jews and Blacks.

Bishop Henry is receiving volumes of letters and e-mails from people who have seen lives saved through the graphic photographs. Send your testimony too.

The Bishop, we believe, has given in to skittish pro-lifers who want to be liked more than they want to be effective. Real pro-lifers don’t have time for that kind of nonsense—wanting to be liked.

Christendom Commencement

Yours truly will be delivering the commencement address at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA this weekend. Say a prayer that I reach the graduates with a strong message for Life.

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