These Bishops don’t mince words
As Successors of the Apostles, the bishops are supposed to continue to teach all that the Apostles were commissioned to teach. Jesus Christ did the original commissioning, and he taught them everything he wanted them to spread to the whole world. Those things never changed — the basic truths Christ taught, and the commission to spread the teaching.
Here we are today with attempts to vary the message, make it relative to the times, re-interpret what Christ really meant by his words (clear though they were), and discount the bishops who do happen to carry out that commission.
Pope John Paul II called this the “culture of death,” and that term has stuck, as debates rage over morals and ethics. Pope Benedict XVI has continued teaching the truths about the dignity of all human life, and he refers to that in almost every address he gives.
Some bishops are doing what they can, and should, to alert a mis-informed public that some decisions made ‘for the public good’ are absolutely not good, no matter what government body or member made them.
Here are two, in this brief AP story:
Federal approval of the so-called morning-after pill is tragic and reflects a “culture of death” in the United States, North Dakota’s Roman Catholic bishops say.
Bishop Samuel Aquila, who heads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo, issued a statement denouncing the FDA’s decision, saying it “is a reflection of the way in which many U.S. citizens are embracing a culture of death.”
“I pray for our nation today and especially for women who are once again being told in this subtle yet drastic way that their value is based upon their willingness to be objects of sexual pleasure despite the cost,” Aquila’s statement said.
“We need to call it exactly what it is – it is truly a culture of death,” said Bishop Paul Zipfel, who heads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck. “I feel exactly the same way as Bishop Aquila.”
That’s a great line, “We need to call it exactly what it is.”
Clarity. Now that’s for the common good.
