1. U.S. in league with China, North Korea on abortion, By Sean Salai, The Washington Times, February 1, 2022, Pg. A1
The United States, China and North Korea are among only six countries that allow abortion on demand throughout the entirety of pregnancy, according to research comparing America to the rest of the world.
Canada, Vietnam and South Korea are the other three outliers, according to a study released last week by the Family Research Council, an evangelical Christian advocacy group.
Overall, 69 nations permit elective abortion and 58 of those countries restrict it after 14 weeks of gestation, just after the first trimester, the study found.
…
The study found that 99 of the nearly 200 nations surveyed ban abortion from the moment of conception or allow abortion only in the case of rape, incest or to protect the mother’s life.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jan/31/report-us-china-north-korea-have-most-permissive-a/
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2. Pope on taxes: A sign of equality, justice and legality, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, January 31, 2022
Pope Francis encouraged tax collectors on Monday to keep working to redistribute wealth and fund social services that help the poor, saying their efforts are a “guarantee of equality” that helps the common good.
Francis met with members of Italy’s tax collection agency and recalled that the taxes they gather pay for Italy’s public health care system. Francis urged them to defend that, “because we shouldn’t fall into a health care system that you pay for, where the poor don’t have a right to anything.”
“One of the beautiful things that Italy has is this: Please keep it,” he said.
Francis noted that the taxman is often looked at with suspicion and scorn, but he said that, done well, taxation “is a sign of legality and justice.”
“It must favor the redistribution of wealth, looking out for the dignity of the poorest who risk always ending up crushed by the powerful,” he said. “Let us work so that the culture of the common good grows and — this is important — so that the universal destination of goods is taken up seriously.”
https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-business-religion-europe-rome-fecbe4e3032c68af15e79b621c1d0b74
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3. W.Va. Democrats propose bill to repeal abortion restrictions, By Leah Willingham, Associated Press, January 31, 2022, 3:47 PM
Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill to repeal all abortion restrictions in West Virginia, a move that comes amid efforts in the Republican-led legislature to further restrict access to the procedure.
During a news conference at the state Capitol on Monday, the bill’s co-sponsor Del. Danielle Walker, a mother who previously had an abortion, described abortion restrictions as “a barrier to safe, affordable, accessible health care.”
“It is racist. Sit in that uncomfortable moment,” said Walker, the only Black woman in the West Virginia Legislature.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wva-democrats-propose-bill-to-repeal-abortion-restrictions/2022/01/31/02bae01a-82d7-11ec-951c-1e0cc3723e53_story.html
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4. Head of German bishops calls on Benedict XVI to ask forgiveness over abuse report, By Inés San Martín, Crux, January 31, 2022
According to the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI must apologize for his role in the sexual abuse scandal in the Church and accept his faults in the cover-up of cases.
“He must make a statement, he must set aside the recommendations of his advisors and say clearly and simply: I bear guilt, I have made mistakes, I ask forgiveness from those affected,” Bishop Georg Bätzing told ZDF, the German public broadcaster.
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2022/01/head-of-german-bishops-calls-on-benedict-xvi-to-ask-forgiveness-over-abuse-report
___________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
