1. R. Kelly Verdict Spotlights Entertainment World-Abortion Link, By Ashley McGuire, Real Clear Politics, September 29, 2021, Opinion If you want to understand the entertainment industry and abortion, look no further than R. Kelly. The R&B singer turned trafficker and sexual abuser of underage girls is back in the news after being convicted on all counts of running a child racketeering ring. One victim revealed that for the small sum of $500, Kelly obtained documents that falsified the age of now-deceased singer Aaliyah so he could marry her for the sole purpose of procuring an abortion for her. Aaliyah was 15. At the time, only a parent or a spouse could sign off on an abortion. … Hollywood has been arguably the most vocal mouthpiece for the abortion lobby, especially in recent years as it is dogged by troubling exposés and a shrinking pool of clients. Hollywood has tried extra hard to give abortion a fresh and glossy look. Think Michelle Williams in a cute orange one-shoulder dress at the Golden Globes trying to convince us that women still need abortion to succeed. In reality, nearly 50 years of Roe v. Wade in Hollywood actually looks like a sweaty Harvey Weinstein in an orange jumpsuit. The patriarchs of Hollywood have championed abortion because it has been an essential tool for them to use and abuse women, for money and for sex, while quite literally throwing away the vulnerable and innocent consequences. … With abortion before the Supreme Court this fall, two things are certain: We are bound to hear from the Hollywood abortion bros and their starlet victims as to why abortion is needed. But we can be just as sure that their credibility when it comes to empowering women is all of zero. They are, after all, actors. Ashley McGuire is a senior fellow with The Catholic Association and the author of “Sex Scandal: The Drive to Abolish Male and Female.” https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/09/29/r_kelly_verdict_spotlights_entertainment_world-abortion_link_146481.html ___________________________________________________________ 2. Pope Francis Faces Tests on Abortion, Gay Rights, The pope is struggling to hold the diverse church together amid tensions over Biden’s abortion stance and progressive demands by German Catholics, By Francis X. Rocca, The Wall Street Journal, September 29, 2021, 7:00 AM Bishops in the U.S. and Germany are poised to challenge Pope Francis, from the right and left respectively, on abortion and gay rights, in tests that could shape the 84-year-old’s legacy. German Catholic bishops and lay leaders are scheduled to vote this week on a proposal for blessing same-sex couples despite a Vatican ban on the practice. In November, U.S. bishops are expected to vote on whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, such as President Biden, should be denied Communion, despite a warning from the Vatican that such a statement could be divisive. … Critics say that the pope’s Delphic pronouncements on sensitive matters such as whether Protestants may receive Communion in Catholic churches have made it easier for conservatives and progressives to flout his authority. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pope-francis-faces-tests-on-abortion-gay-rights-11632913201? ___________________________________________________________ 3. Spanish bishops oppose government registry of medical conscience objectors, By Inés San Martín, Crux, September 29, 2021 To guarantee the “right to terminate pregnancies in public hospital,” the Spanish Ministry of Equality is preparing the creation of a registry of medical doctors, nurses and other staff who are conscience objectors. The proposed list is part of a reform of the country’s abortion law, which was passed in 2010. To date, almost 86 percent of the abortions performed in Spain are done in private clinics that have agreements with the public health system. The current abortion law includes conscientious objection as an individual right of healthcare providers, but it must be done “without undermining access and quality of care.” Several bishops have expressed their opposition to a registry, arguing that it could eventually be used to justify not hiring a medical professional. https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2021/09/spanish-bishops-oppose-government-registry-of-medical-conscience-objectors/ ___________________________________________________________ 4. Catholics decry removal of missionary’s statue, By Sean Salai, The Washington Times, September 29, 2021, Pg. A2 Catholics are criticizing California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to replace the toppled statue of a saint at the state Capitol with a monument to the indigenous peoples who protesters say the missionary oppressed. Faith leaders said Mr. Newsom, a Democrat and Catholic himself, overlooked a complicated reality by signing legislation to banish the image of Father Junipero Serra, an 18th-century Spanish priest who founded missions across the state. “If the Franciscans hadn’t come along with the Spanish soldiers, the Indians would have been treated even worse by the colonial government. It was often the missionaries who complained about how the natives were treated,” the Rev. Thomas Reese, a senior analyst with Religion News Service, told The Washington Times. https://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/sep/28/catholics-hit-newsom-replacing-toppled-saints-stat/ ___________________________________________________________ 5. Catholic lawmakers can’t justify a vote for the Women’s Health Protection Act, By Charles C. Camosy, Religion News Service, September 28, 2021, 5:13 PM We should err on the side of respecting the consciences of Catholic legislators when it comes to abortion — and, indeed, when it comes to almost all public policy questions. The move from moral principle to public policy can be a fraught one, full of complex judgments about which faithful Catholics can disagree. The church’s social doctrine insists, for instance, that Catholics must give special and particular priority to the needs of the poor. But how that focus plays out in terms of which public policies should be supported is a matter of intense but nevertheless good faith debate. … But just as there are health care policy proposals that are beyond the pale, there are also abortion policy proposals that put Catholic legislators outside the church. One such policy just passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a nearly straight party-line vote. The bill, passed in response to the recent Texas abortion statute that bans abortion after a heart beat can be detected, given its provisions for the mother’s health, would legalize abortions to be performed up until birth. The U.S. is already one of only seven countries that allows elective abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation, so we already have a wildly extreme abortion policy. If the WHPA passes the Senate, President Biden will almost certainly sign it, and we will lead the world in active hostility to prenatal justice. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/catholic-lawmakers-cant-justify-a-vote-for-the-womens-health-protection-act/2021/09/28/f78578a6-20a0-11ec-a8d9-0827a2a4b915_story.html ___________________________________________________________ 6. President Biden expected to meet Pope Francis at end of October, sources say, By Andrea Gagliarducci, Catholic News Agency, September 28, 2021, 11:40 AM Pope Francis is expected to receive Joe Biden on Oct. 29, in the U.S. president’s first official visit to the Vatican since his inauguration, according to sources at the Apostolic Palace. … According to the sources, Biden’s trip would be an official visit. First, the president would have a meeting with Pope Francis. Then there would be bilateral talks in the Secretariat of State with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States and the Vatican’s equivalent of a foreign minister. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249119/president-biden-expected-to-meet-pope-francis-at-the-end-of-october-sources-say ___________________________________________________________ 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. |