Cardinal Rigali: Contraception and Abortion Create Hostility toward Children

WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a statement to mark Respect Life Sunday, October 4, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia said: "Since the advent of widespread contraception and abortion, a cultural hostility to children has grown."

Children, he said, "are often depicted as costly encumbrances who interfere with a carefree adult life." In response, however, he pointed out that: "In fact, if married couples were to have more children, Medicare and Social Security would not be hurtling toward bankruptcy."

Cardinal Rigali, who chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), referred to abortion as "killing," and decried the funding of abortion in Obama's healthcare overhaul.

"Despite the opposition of 67% of Americans to taxpayer-funded abortion, all current health care proposals being considered by Congress would allow or mandate abortion funding, either through premiums paid into government programs or out of federal revenues," he said.

"It bears repeating: Abortion - the direct, intentional killing of an unborn girl or boy - is not health care," he added. "Abortion robs an innocent child of his or her life, and robs mothers of their peace and happiness. Abortion funding can only increase the number of dead and grieving."

Of note, Cardinal Rigali said, "It should not be surprising that the neglect, and even the death, of some people are offered as a solution to rising health care costs. Population control advocates have long espoused aborting children in the developing world as a misguided means for reducing poverty."

He added: "Some environmentalists now claim that the most efficient way to curb global climate change is to make 'family planning' more widely available in the developing world." He warned also that "as used by population control advocates, the innocuous term 'family planning' includes abortifacient contraceptives, sterilization, and manual vacuum aspiration abortions."

The Cardinal expanded upon the dire consequences for social security of having fewer children. "Since 1955, because of fewer children and longer life spans, the number of workers has declined relative to the number of beneficiaries, from 8.6 to only 3.1 workers paying benefits to support each beneficiary," he explained. "Without substantially more young people to enter the work force as young adults, in 25 years, there will be only 2.1 workers supporting each beneficiary."

Driving home the point he said, "Eliminating our young does not solve problems even on pragmatic grounds. It adds to them."

He concluded: "Death is not a solution to life's problems. Only those who are blind to the transcendent reality and meaning of human life could support killing human beings to mitigate economic, social or environmental problems."

I totally agree with you Michael. We need to get rid of the idea of government healthcare in favor of more realistic and practical reforms of the industry. Of course, abortion and euthanasia will wiggle its way into it later on...most of these politicians don't care about the defenseless preborn children, the sick, or elderly. They want to impress those with the money, power and vote, and they want to control the rest of us. This is all a big power play and the bishops have no business endorsing it at all with or without the abortion mandate. I also agree with Cardinal Rigali that abortion demeans children in general and makes them a burden instead of a blessing in the mind of the public. Simply put, it dehumanizes us all and the proof is in the culture of death in this country that has grown from it. I am glad he said what he did. Now let's courageously act on it.

Lisa | 10/4/2009

Well intentioned but this letter is not going to have any effect right now - and we need action right now. The Bishops need to actually state the words that we �fully oppose the Health Care bills in both houses and ask all Catholics to oppose these bills as well". It is way past the time that the Bishops switch strategy from how to improve these healthcare bills to how to defeat these bills! Criticism of different sections and calling for amendments hasn't worked - all pro-life amendments have been defeated in committee and are likely to be defeated on the floor of both houses which both have pro-choice majorities. The Bishops must say that they oppose the bill (not sections) - say it now, not 1 month from now after this bill is already law, and spread that message throughout the media and the church.

Michael Liddy | 10/2/2009

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