In his latest blunt assessment of U.S. society, Pope John Paul II on Friday denounced the acceptance of abortion and same-sex unions as "self-centered demands" erroneously depicted as human rights.
The pontiff said that "in the face of such erroneous yet pervasive thinking," visiting U.S. bishops should stress to congregations "their special responsibility for evangelizing culture and promoting Christian values in society and public life."
"Rights are at times reduced to self-centered demands: the growth of prostitution and pornography in the name of adult choice, the acceptance of abortion in the name of women's rights, the approval of same sex unions in the name of homosexual rights," he said.
The Catholic Church forbids abortion and considers homosexual activity a sin.
Last week, John Paul warned another group of U.S. prelates that American society is in danger of surrendering to a "soulless vision of life."
Greeting the latest group of bishops on the same day he held a private audience with President Bush, John Paul acknowledged the challenges to Catholic Church teaching and faith.
"Ambiguous moral positions, the distortion of reason by particular interest groups ... are just some examples of a perspective of life which fails to seek truth itself and then abandons the search for the ultimate goal and meaning of human existence," John Paul said.
You know, the man's making a lot of sense. When we have spent decades denying the existence of God, how can we help but come away with a "soulless vision of life?"
I am sure there will be those who will deride the Pope's views and cite them as evidence of his and the Church's growing irrelevance. The funny thing is, in doing so they are proving the Pope's point better than he ever could.
No comments:
Post a Comment