Anne Lastman
It appears like the holy father’s Pope Francis’s trip to Belgium “upset” some of nobility and hierarchy of Belgium who were then prepared to publicly humiliate the pontiff and take him to task over his comments concerning abortion. The Pope, supposedly spoke the so called “insulting” words in the context of his praising of former King Baudouin (present king’s uncle) who abdicated for a day, in order not to be forced sign the abortion law proposed. This arrangement was made with the government of the day that he would abdicate and return the day after the law was signed by government other.
Sadly, King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola were unable to have children of their own (after 5 miscarriages – this news in women’s magazines even in Australia) and with their very public and visible catholic faith it was a sign that they believed that abortion is the killing of a conceived new life.
The holy father, Pope Francis, “Peter” did nothing else but remind and speak strongly the constant teaching of the church, that abortion is always wrong. Homicide. Murder. As far back as the extant document Didache (teaching of the apostles) which is dated between 70-150AD we hear “you shall not abort an unborn child/infant.” The Didache is not hesitant in speaking about abortion and calls it infanticide and a gross violation against the moral order on the same scale as adultery, pederasty sexual immorality and a long list of other serious sins. Abortion was spoken about even then, which means that even then it was known that killing of in utero children was a known fact but for the Christian faith it was not to be considered.
The Catholic church, right from the beginning, railed against this and has done so for over two thousand years, so the holy father’s stated comment was nothing new but a vocal expression of Catholic teaching. On matters of faith and morals “Peter” cannot be wrong because his words and actions are guided by the Holy Spirit. The words the Pope spoke were the voice of the Holy Spirit and he could not speak otherwise irrespective of any nation’s “democratically elected government”. Truth is Truth.
Whilst Pope Francis “”haters” have always said that he does not speak sufficiently about the most serious sin in society (abortion) when push comes to shove, he bunkers down and will not be swayed. This is the mandate of “Peter” to speak on matters of life and all which affects life, and on this “Peter” must stand firm. Where there is possibility for discussion in other matters, he will engage but on matters of life and death for “Peter” this is non-negotiable.
We have been told, via the media, that he used strong words regarding abortion. Words like “homicide” as he prayed at King Baudouin’s tomb (who refused to sign abortion law) and indeed Pope Francis has begun the cause towards beatification. The pontiff’s words against abortion caused a very public uproar. Perhaps a sensitive place words being said in the late King’s presence as there is ongoing present discussion within their parliament to extend gestational age when abortion can be carried out.
“Abortion is murder. Doctors who do that are-allow me to use that word-contract killers.” it’s further interesting to note that members of the Brussel’s Free University urged by the rector Jan Danckaert, and its Hospital, UZ Brussel, urged the Prime Minister, Mr. De Croo, to call the Pope to account and he announced that he will call the Pope’s ambassador to protest remarks made by the Pope, about abortion, which the Prime Minister says constitute “unacceptable” interference in his country’s domestic affairs and deplores the Pope’s comments on the role of women in society. (pope did not refer to the role of women in society) “We do not need lessons on how our parliamentarians democratically approve laws, fortunately the time has come when the church dictated laws in our country are long gone”
Further we read that Mr de Croo used his meeting with the Pontiff to publicly scold him regarding the church’s handling of the sexual abuse scandals. How interesting , when anyone of supposed note is criticized their last recourse is to bring the clerical sexual abuse issue in the belief that reminding “Peter” about the failure of the church’s handling of this abuse, then he can be hushed up about any other matter of faith and morals.
The decision to summon the Papal Nuncio to Belgium resulted from the rector of the free university of Brussels, Jan Danckaert, asserting that the Pope’s language not only insults doctors who perform abortions but also Belgium and its population. An insult to doctors who kill babies? What planet does this “rector” land from. What else is it to be called but the killing of in utero infants. in a time when abortion is being globally carried out at any any stage from conception to post birth abortion it means killing infants. In which ivory tower has this rector been hiding. Or maybe living.
The Pope on his flight home reiterated that abortion is murder and that even science says that just one month from conception (though we believe life begins at conception) a human is a human with all its own instructions to self-develop without assistance. With abortion a human being is killed and the doctors who take part in this are “allow me to use the word- hitmen. They are hitmen. On this point there is no discussion. A human life is killed” He also called doctors who performed abortions “contract killers.”
Belgium’s interior minister Ms. Annelies Verlinden was outraged calling the Pope’s comments “unnecessarily hurtful to women and care providers”
Following on Ms. Verlinden’s words, I need to ask “I wonder if women and men who decided to take their baby to be killed and then realized their mistake and slowly distanced themselves from marriage or relationship and turned to licit of illicit drugs, alcohol, substances, to help shut out and remove their pain were/are also outraged”
I wonder if Ms. Verlinden is also outraged if a woman’s character changes and makes herself permanently sterile so this will never happen again, because she doesn’t deserve children. Or the women who turn against their husband and choose female partners so that pregnancy will not happen. Are these insulted or outraged? I wonder if an abortive woman justifies her action by hating her own body and either exploits it or abandons it. (worthless to be used by anyone) I wonder if Ms. Verlinden is outraged over this, or when a young woman who’s had 3 abortions now starts to self-harm? Is Ms. Verlinden outraged yet? I wonder if Ms. Verlinden is outraged if young women begin to hear their aborted babies calling to them and some respond to the call permanently (suicide). Or I wonder if Ms. Verlinden is outraged if called upon with other members of her government (who also feel outraged and insulted) are willing to respond to the call of a young woman for help as she huddles in a corner of her room saying over and over and over again “I killed my baby.” I wonder if Ms. Verlinden’s outrage extends to learning that indeed it’s true that abortion harms women whom she is supposed to respect, and honour and represent. Has her outrage extended to learning that abortion grief is the most difficult grief to recover from (not even time helps) because it’s the realization that she as a mother took her baby to die, and she now cannot reverse the decision. I wonder if Ms. Verlinden knows that it’s the “intent” which actually causes the complicated grief. That is, it was her own decision to take her baby to be killed and she now believes it’s her own fault. I wonder if Ms. Verlinden is outraged when she surely must know that there are over 70,000,000 abortions per year globally (which we know about) which means that 70,000,000 (WHO) women are affected in one way or another and long term the mental health issues which emerge will be horrendous? Or have the euthanasia laws of Belgium accommodate for the ensuing depression? Will Ms. Verlinden then be outraged then? Perhaps she can comfort herself, and her outrage lessened with the knowledge that euthanasia is already legal. I wonder if Ms. Verlinden has spoken to a young man who did not want his child aborted and promised everything to his partner for this not to happen, but it did, and he could no longer recognize the one he loved? I wonder if Ms. Verlinden ever thought that men suffer lifelong pain over their aborted babies. Robbed of fatherhood.
I wonder if Ms. Verlinden or Prime Minister de Croo ever invited a woman who has aborted any number from 1-11 babies and asks how she now feels? I wonder if they have asked the loved ones of someone who has aborted and hear their stories about the “crying at night” which never stops. I wonder if they have asked the mother of a young woman who committed suicide after her abortion and the agony of this mother who lost both her daughter and grandchild. I wonder if they have asked those who are lost in despair to come and talk with them and to hear their story? I wonder if they’d hear and listen and believe that abortion is not just a word, or a right but the word means “killing” “ending” “final” ”termination” I wonder if Mr de Croo and Ms. Verlinden ever asked a young woman who cannot sleep because of hearing her child call to her in her sleep and so she’s afraid to go to sleep.
I suspect Mr de Croo has never asked someone like me (though from his country) who has worked for 28 years comforting and doing all possible to restore that wounded one to a place where she is able to cope with her life. Never to her original life and self but to a new her where she might be able to live. remembering but not hurting. I wonder if Mr de Croo or Ms. Verlinden have ever spoken to someone like me who has not only been counselling, suffering post abortive women and some men for nearly 30 years of grief following an abortion, but who has actually lived through it too. I wouldn’t have to make up a story. It would be my story. I wonder if they would decide that my story is an exception rather than a rule or even call me a liar. With over70,000,000 abortions every year are they all exceptions rather than the rule or all liars? I wonder if both Mr de Croo and Ms. Verlinden would be so outraged knowing that they continue to facilitate death of their future nation.
And yet both Mr de Croo and Ms. Verlinden speak their “outrage” from a country which now euthanasia is on demand even for ill children, infants. A country, Belgium, where euthanasia is a norm. Inconvenient, expensive life? easy death. Imagine a terminally ill child euthanized because that government says it’s a law and it can be done without legal consequences. And do it. Holding onto a loved one dying, holding them to the very end makes new and precious memories and not the memories of injecting poison, or whatever method used. The outrage of Mr de Croo and Ms. Verlinden and their audacity to publicly humiliate Peter, who can only speak a truth of our faith, and he spoke this “truth to a nation that is no longer listening.”
Woman who has a choice for honour life has again chosen death. Woman again, like Eve, is not the mother of all living but mother of death.
We send blessings thanks to our very strong Holy Father, Pope Francis, for speaking as Peter. Faith and Morals are his domain, and the Holy Spirit will not permit error to come out of his mouth. On matters of faith and morals the holy spirit speaks through Peter.
