PAPAL GREETINGS FOR THE PRESIDENT
The Pope very much wanted to meet with the President and scheduled an unusual afternoon meeting to accommodate him at the end of his Italian stay for a G-8 summit meeting. In the tradition-conscious Vatican, most such meetings are held earlier in the day. The Vatican also arranged live television coverage of the open session of the meeting after their private talks.
Benedict also broke Vatican protocol the day after Obama was elected by sending a personal note of congratulations rather than waiting and sending the usual brief telegram on Inauguration Day.
The First Lady and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, joined him at the end of the meeting, and gifts were exchanged. The President gave the Pope a stole that is a relic of St. John Neumann, CSSR, an American saint and immigrant. Several senior White House staff members also met the pope, with some either shaking his hand or kissing his ring.
According to the Pope's official spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, the pope was "very impressed" by Obama and that the pontiff was "extremely satisfied" with the talks. Father also said that "Obama told the pope of his commitment to reduce the number of abortions and of his attention and respect for the positions of the Catholic Church."
The pope also gave the president a copy of his latest encyclical, "Charity in Truth," which called for a "world political authority" to manage the global economy and for more government regulation of national economies to pull the world out of the current crisis and avoid a repeat.
45 comments:
It was a beautiful day.
Where is your mention of Pope Benedict giving Obama a copy of "Dignitas Personae?"
Michelle was beautiful!
Obama gave the Pope a letter from Teddy Kennedy. A very nice touch. A great day all around
How did you feel when Obama lied to the Pope's face and said he wanted to reduce abortions in America?
Well, I feel very sad to read your lie, Bill.
The Holy See commended the President for his committment to abortion reduction. I join myself with the Holy See in commending the President as well on this matter.
Katherine,
The problem is that he is not in favor of reducing abortions. Everything he has every said and done on this issue before lying to the Pope shows how much he wants abortion to continue. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise.
Roe v. Wade "not only protects women's health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters," Obama said in a statement, Jan. 22, 2009
Bill,
I think the problem is with you.
The President has stated his desire to reduce the number of abortions (which is all any proposal might do, though the degrees may vary.). I beleive him and the Holy See has accepted his sincerity.
As a citizen and voter, you are free to doubt the sincerity of any politican. As a Christian, you are not free to publicly declare a man to be a certain liar based on your gut feeling.
Katherine,
I am just going by his voting record ever since he has been in public office. He is the most pro-abortion president we have ever had. Until the Vatican, I have never heard him say or do anything that indicates he wants to reduce abortions.
Now, Katherine, they are admitting that Obama's new health care plan includes taxpayer dollars for abortion. How can he be reducing abortion if he wants to give more money to folks like Planned Parenthood to fund abortions? At taxpayer expense! I agree with Bill, Obama talks out of both sides of his mouth. He is a liar. How un-Christian of HIM.
Seems that Bill is only fooling himself if he considers himself to be a practicing Christian.
Until the Vatican, I have never heard him say or do anything that indicates he wants to reduce abortions
Well, then you have not been listening. That is why you should be careful in calling someone a liar.
What "they" Kathy? You and your right wing crazy friends?
The Pope's Nuncio in the US has told the conservative bishops to back off on the criticism of Obama. Good call.
"They" happens to be Sen. Barbara Mikulski....Democrat from Maryland. Look it up.
Kathy,
Is it even possible for you to tell the truth?
I looked it up. You are wrong as expected. First of all, it was a matter between Senators Mikulski and Hatch. Second did not have to do with paying for abortion but if people could use their health insurance for non-abortion services at a hospital or clinic that does performs abortion. Heck, Ronald Reagan used GWU Hospital (whioch does abortions).
Now, back to your cave until you learn to be honest.
It is silly to hear you all defending Obama's record on abortion. He has even voted in favor of partial-birth abortion. That is the truth. So when he goes to Rome and says he wants to reduce abortions, then I don't see how that can be true. I don't understand how you can defend him on this.
On the other hand, calling us crazy, and saying Kathy lives in a cave, and questioning our identity as Christians is not appropriate. We just expressed our opinions.
Katherine,
Don't make me laugh. YOU, of all people, accuse others of telling lies??????? HAHAHAHA!!! Back to my cave, DUCKIE????? What happened to the kisses and cuddles you give me on American Papist??? You are such a phoney!!! What are you going to say when taxpayer money goes to pay for abortions just as he wants???? I am sure, when the time comes, you will NEVER report it! HAHAHA!!!!! BYE, DUCKIE!!!
While I hope the President is successful in reducing the number of abortions in the United States, it is a fact that he is the most pro abortion president ever elected.
Those who are Christians and are Obama supporters should recognize this fact and pray that in the future Obama enacts policies that doesn't give him a 100% approval rating from NARL which he earned as a Senator.
To deny that Obama had a radical pro abortion record as a legislator is the real lie and I trust the owners of this blog do not fall into that category.
So when he goes to Rome and says he wants to reduce abortions, then I don't see how that can be true. I don't understand ...
...We just expressed our opinions.
Bill, you are entitled to say that you don't see...or...you don't understand... That is a fair basis of a discussion. But that it not what you posted previously. You didn't offer an opinion but you stated as a fact that the President was a liar.
Brian, I appreciate your more temperate, civil and Christian remarks. I would however point out that the NARAL Voting Record you cite does not include a single direct abortion vote. I don't support NARAL and I am well aware of their agenda. I think their voting scorecard is the way it is more due to the fact that pro-life Democrats were successfull in keeping most pro-abortion bills from coming to the floor of Congress for a vote. Therefore NARAL had to use indirect issues in its voting record.
I would also note that the National Right to Life Committee uses in its voting record opposition to campaign finance reform and opposition to the childrens' health care bill supported by the Catholic bishops.
Be careful citing these political voting records.
Kathy,
You have every right to strongly disagree with some or all of the President's policies. But you should really consider giving him the respect as a human being that the Holy Father does.
Like the respect you gave me as a human being by calling me a liar and telling me to go back to my cave? As I said, Kate, you are the one that, to put it kindly, stretches the truth. And I notice you didn't publish my reply to you when you told me to go back to my cave. The difference between you and Thomas Peters on American Papist is that he allows all comments to be out there. You only publish the ones that you can manipulate and make your barbs against people. How "Christian" is that???? As I said before, only quoting you, "kisses and cuddles and goodbye, Duckie!"
So now you go back and publish my response from yesterday. HA! Why do I always make the assumption, when I post here, Katherine, that you are going to be honest? HA! Fooled me! And to quote you again, "Bye, Duckie!"
PLUS, you call Bill and me liars then state how we don't have a right to call Obama a liar. It is un-Christian, you state. Which one is it, Kate??
Feisty little filly that Kathy. Sounds like my kinda woman.
Katherine,
Read Michael Sean Winters on America magazine website. Maybe you will believe him. The post is entitled "Abortion and Health Care Reform." He is a liberal like yourself. Let's hear your argument against what he has to say.
I have another question for you all, and this is a very real concern.
What will you think if Obama's health Care plan includes public finding for abortion? Under his and the Democrat's plan, we will all help pay for abortions. That doesn't sound like a government trying to reduce them.
The House Democrats wrote a bill earlier this week that prohibts federal funds for abortion and they passed it out of subcommittee. Should see floor passage by the end of the month.
But the SENATE panel voted to include abortion coverage.
Cat got your tongue, Kathy, Bill?
If you are stuck in a lie from the get-go, even if you don't realize it's a lie, where can you go from there?
The Senate has agree to accept the House language regarding no federal funds for abortion.
Be careful about who you support. I am reading many stories that say abortion will be funded. For example, the following article,"Dodd on Abortion Funding in Health Care Bill: ‘We Like the Idea That People Have Choices’" at http://cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=51216
specifically states they do plan to include abortion funding in their bill. This is not a lie - it is what the Democrat senators are saying. All I have done here is cite their words and voting records. If they do include abortion funding in their bill, then I bet Obama will sign it. I honestly hope I am wrong about this, but I am just watching and listening to what they are saying.
My only question for you is, what will you do if I am right and they include abortion funding in the bill?
We'll see.
How about instead of "we will see", we all write our representatives and tell them we support the Catholic Church's positions -- we want national health care but we want it without abortion coverage.
I already have.
I thought you said they already wrote the bills without abortion coverage??? Which one is it, Kate?? Talking out of both sides of your mouth again? Just like your hero?
Finally something we can agree on. Thanks Kathleen.
I also have contacted my Democrat Senator and urged him not to vote for any bill that includes funding for abortions. I'll be praying about it too.
Kathy, let me write it again in case you were not reading carefully. Let us write our representatives saying we support national health care. Let us also say we want it without abortion coverage.
Hopefully, when this long, complicated process is over, that is what we will come out with.
I don't want nationwide healthcare or any program that Obama proposes because I think he is wrong about everything. I have zero faith that he will help this country in any way. However, he probably has enough votes to pass his healthcare plan.
The most important thing we can do here is try to get them to take funded abortions out of the bill.
Bill,
Thank you for telling us what you want.
I want what the Catholic bishops have said they want -- national health without abortion coverage. That is what I will be working for. However, I respect your opinion.
Katherine,
I do want to see healthcare for people who are truly poor and needy. I just don't think the plan being proposed right now is the way to do it. I am really concerned that what they are proposing will lead to rationing care. My parents are getting older and my dad has had many problems over the past two years. I could not accept rationing care and making him wait for treatments.
I do not disagree with the Bishops on this.
Of course, Bill, the elderly already have single payer national health insurance. It is called Medicare.
http://www.birthers.org/
"Anonymous." Hmmmmmm, considering that you put the link for "birthers" on American Papist on the same day.....could "anonymous" possibly be you, Katherine? I thought you were more crafty than that.:)
Gee, Kathy, I had assumed you were "Anonymous". The IP came from your part of the country.
My guess is that Kathy looks under her bed and checks out the bushes behind her house for Katherine (and other assorted "evildoers" every night.
The AP is saying that Obamacare will cover abortion. What's your spin on that?
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