IT was astounding to see a valuable half page of The Catholic Leader devoted to United States President Barack Obama who supports legal abortion and embryonic stem-cell research, both of which are in direct conflict with Church teaching, (“Positive economic approach”, CL 17/5/09).
The Vatican City (CNS) news item which was cited, implied that the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences endorses the view of one of its members Marcelo Sorondo to the effect that President Obama is worthy of praise for his “Positive economic approach” in the economic crisis.
But the president of the Pontifical Academy Mary Ann Glendon declined, when invited, to comment “on Mr Obama’s economic strategies in the light of Catholic teaching”.
This is interesting given that Obama is a flagrant supporter of the ugliest utilitarian social policies which characterise the culture of death.
The emphasis in the Vatican news item on the “positivity” of President Obama would seem to be quite out of order from a Catholic perspective, and undeserving of reproduction at least in a Catholic journal.
Time will judge the policies of Mr Obama, but last Friday was the annual celebration day of the Irish St Dympna who, after more than 1300 years is still demonstrably and immeasurably positive here in Brisbane and throughout the world.
This is the kind of knowledge people desperately need to be able to access in times of cultural collapse, such as the present.
RAY HARTY
Yeronga, Qld
