Pro-abortion vote is saddening

Fr Manuel Barrios Prieto, secretary general of the Bishops of the European Union (COMECE), commented on the recent vote in the EU Parliament:

“The vote today in the European Parliament in favour of this proposal for a resolution on the inclusion of abortion as a right in the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights obviously saddens us.”

The main ground for the bishops’ opposition is that abortion cannot be considered a fundamental right, because “a fundamental right” is “the right to life”. And this right, they underscored, has to be respected especially when the persons are vulnerable, like the unborn child in their mother’s womb.

Cardinal slams Western prelates

Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, arch-conservative and harsh critic of Pope Francis, said: “Many Western prelates are tetanised by the idea of opposing the world. They dream of being loved by the world; they’ve lost the desire to be a sign of contradiction.”

He accused them of “accommodating, of complicity with this major lie that is fluid and practical atheism”. He compared this to being caught in a spider’s web, where efforts to escape only tighten its grip. This brand of atheism, he argues, is a trap set by Satan. “But each of us can decide today: the lie of atheism will no longer pass through me.”

Beauty of sharing faith

Last Sunday, Pope Francis spoke of how beautiful it is to share and transmit our faith.

“Each one of us could say so much about this; not by being a lecturer to others but by sharing the unique moments in which we perceived the Lord alive and close, who kindled joy in our hearts or dried our tears, who transmitted confidence and consolation, strength and enthusiasm, or forgiveness, tenderness, peace.

“If we do this, Jesus, just as he did with the disciples on the evening of Passover, will surprise us and make our encounters and our environments even more beautiful.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)