Thursday, February 16, 2006

Vatican Urged to Reopen Debate on Birth Control

From Reuters:
PARIS (Reuters) - Encouraged by Pope Benedict's encyclical on love, a Roman Catholic bishop and a group of Christian intellectuals in France are urging the Vatican to reopen the debate on its ban on artificial birth control.

Bishop Francis Deniau told the Catholic magazine Le Pelerin this week that Benedict's first encyclical "Deus Caritas Est" (God is Love), which was widely praised for the positive way it spoke about sexual love, was a hopeful sign for possible change.
[ED.: I must have missed that exit sign - I was trying to keep my eyes on narrow road that was plainly marked in front of me.]

Sociologist Catherine Gremion noted the encyclical -- the highest form of papal writing -- did not condemn Catholic couples "who do not manage to live out their love in strict respect for Church teachings". [ED.: What the f***? You mean unless a Pope, in writing an encyclical, clearly identifies the teachings of the Church that are of continuing validity, those teachings suddenly become fair game for "reopened debate"?]

"That's an important sign," [ED.: No it isn't - in fact, there is no sign. Only your wishful thinking.] said Gremion, one of the co-authors of a book by Christian intellectuals entitled "The Church and Contraception -- the Urgent Need to Change".

Benedict made clear last November he was not considering any change in the contraception ban and that family planning was only allowed by the "rhythm method" of abstinence from sex during a woman's fertile period.

***
Deniau, bishop of Nevers in eastern France, noted that a papal commission had advised in 1966 to allow it, but Pope Paul ignored their recommendation after consulting several cardinals, including the future Pope John Paul.
[ED.: Of blessed memory.]

"The analyses made by the first commission in 1966, which did not condemn contraception, are worth being reviewed and debated," Deniau said. He said many Catholics found they could not follow the "rhythm method" of family planning. [ED.: (1) They're not trying hard enough; and (2) There are other more effective methods of natural family planning; and (3) What's wrong with large families - are you afraid you're going to run out of love?]

"It's important that these things are not seen in a rigid fashion," he said. [ED.: With all due respect, bite me, Your Excellency.]

(emphasis and editorial commentary added)
My Comments:
A Catholic bishop and some Catholic "intellectuals" in France read Deus Caritas Est and take away from it a willingness to embrace the culture of death?

Either these Frogs are reading a different encyclical than I did, or Deus Caritas Est seriously lost something in the English translation.

Or, it could be that these Frenchies are just doing what the Frogs do: waving the white flag of surrender to the forces of darkness and death.

7 Comments:

At 2/16/2006 11:38 PM, Blogger Sir Galen of Bristol said...

While we're "re-opening debate", can we re-open the debate on ideas like burning heretics and apostates at the stake? Or just beating the holy mother sh*t out of people who piss me off?

 
At 2/17/2006 12:04 AM, Blogger Pro Ecclesia said...

I like your style, Paul!
:)

 
At 2/17/2006 12:09 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

What I want to know is who decided to call these guys intellectuals?

Was it self-proclaimed? Because they sound like the stupidest people in the world. It's too bad St. Jerome isn't around now. He'd tell them a thing or two!

 
At 2/17/2006 11:20 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had similar thoughts.

 
At 2/17/2006 1:24 PM, Blogger Fidei Defensor said...

To bad these intellectials can't figure out what I have said before, birth-control is the gate to the culture of death and the antithesis of love.

"Re-opening" the debate? I am sick of people treating the laws of God and the Church as if they were municipal ordinances with loopholes and such.

I'd guess that 95% of the people in Hell are shocked that they end up there.

 
At 2/17/2006 1:32 PM, Blogger Sir Galen of Bristol said...

Danny said: It's too bad St. Jerome isn't around now. He'd tell them a thing or two!

That's why we have blogs, Danny!

FD, you are, to quote Mr. Rogers, "correct as usual". No doubt you're right about people being surprised by Hell. But Archbishop Sheen said that upon reaching Heaven, we may expect three surprises:

1. That people we never expected to find there, are there.
2. That people we always thought would be there, aren't.
3. That we, knowing our own sins, are there.

 
At 2/17/2006 5:18 PM, Blogger Fidei Defensor said...

Thanks Paul though I am not sure I understand "2. That people we always thought would be there, aren't."

What sort of people, like certain Popes and stuff?

 

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