.jpg)
Pope Benedict XVI and President Obama to meet July 10, 2009
President Obama who will be attending the G8 summit in Italy will have his first audience with the Holy Father on July 10.
Obama is well known for his aggressive pro-choice agenda which has conflicted with Catholics and other pro-life groups. During his campaign, Obama stated he would sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) early in his administration which would expand abortion services, which creates a moral and ethically divide for Catholic hospitals and pro-life health care workers.
He also has lifted the ban on embryonic stem cell research which violates Church teaching.
The Vancouver Sun reports:
“The Catholic Church, other religious groups and abortion opponents oppose such research --which scientists hope can lead to cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's --because it involves the destruction of embryos.”
"White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters in Washington the Pope and the president would discuss a range of issues, including their shared belief in the dignity of all people."
Since the furor raised over FOCA, Obama claims he has backed off promoting the repeal of the “conscience clause”. In his meeting with members of the Catholic press last week, Father Owen Kearns, editor in chief and publisher of National Catholic Register discloses that Obama underscored this claim. The publication explains:
“The most noteworthy thing during the meeting was his dispelling of what you might call the expectation of the worst regarding conscience clauses,” said Father Kearns. “He said that the confusion regarding the issue was due to the timing of everything rather than what he was going to do. His administration saw the previous administration’s 11th-hour change as problematic, and so they undid that. He said that in Illinois he was a supporter of a robust conscience clause, something he reiterated in his Notre Dame speech. He added that the government has received hundreds of thousands of public comments, and he promised that there would be a robust conscience-clause protection in place, and that it would not be weaker than the one that was already in place before President Bush’s change. Still, he added, it won’t please everybody.”
It appears that the President has desires to dialogue with the Holy Father about social issues contained within Catholic teachings of social justice. It would be very interesting to be a fly on the wall in order to listen to the conversation. After Obama’s Notre Dame graduation speech scandal and the condemnation by a majority of American bishops, will abortion be the proverbial elephant in the room when they meet? Or will Pope Benedict instruct and/or correct Obama regarding the abortion issue? Will they agree to disagree or will the Vatican be silent after Obama's visit such as he was after meeting with Nancy Pelosi?
What do you think the result of the meeting will be?
For more information:
Zenit: Obama promises conscience protection
President Obama to Catholic Press on abortion
...you might also enjoy these articles:
Did you know you can receive notice whenever an article is published? Simply click "Subscribe" at the top or the bottom of the page to be notified!
Comments
I don't think FOCA has been passed yet. There would have been outrage and mobs storming the streets by pro-life groups in some cities. I hope that HH Benedict XVI will say something. The Vatican has been too silent about these issues, (even though they do have a very big voice) especially to Catholic politicians!
Well, I think that God's hand is in this meeting, although we do not know our Lord's intentions. We may or may not see the fruits of this encounter right away. However, one thing we can be certain of, is our Pope is a holy man and will bless the President, and will make some kind of lasting impression. Only good can come from this, IMHO. Obama has expressed how the Catholic Church's teachings have positively influenced him (not sure what to make of that), so who knows how he may be influenced by his Papal visit. One cannot leave unchanged after such a holy experience. Let's pray for nothing short of a miracle- a conversion of Obama's heart for LIFE!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!