Bishop Tobin and Tucson: 'The President's Speech; Why I Wasn't Impressed'

As I watched Mr. Obama, I sensed there was something missing; there was something that left me cold, unimpressed and unmoved. And suddenly it became clear. President Obama's persistent and willful promotion of abortion renders his compassionate gestures and soaring rhetoric completely disingenuous.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Catholic Online) - Readers of Catholic Online are well aware of my respect and admiration for Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Rhode Island, a faithful and courageous Catholic Bishop. He has demonstrated this courage repeatedly in his untiring defense of the dignity of every human person from conception to natural death as well as his defense of true marriage and the family and society founded upon it. Bishop Tobin has tirelessly tried to help erring Catholics, including Catholic politicians in his own Diocese, to turn from error and toward the truth - in the face of blistering opposition from opponents. In the past I wrote concerning the Bishops' pastorally concerned attempts to assist a member of his flock, the former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, to understand "What Does it Mean to be a Catholic?"  I also wrote about the inexcusable way in which Washington pundit Chris Matthews treated this good Bishop in an interview concerning this important effort.  Recently, I wrote about a letter the Bishop sent to all in his Diocese whom he appropriately called "inactive Catholics" rather than "fallen away."  The letter was an example of the heart of a true shepherd. It would be a great template for Bishops around the country. This Bishop's leadership as a successor of the Apostles reflects his Episcopal motto, "strong, loving, wise," which is taken from Paul's admonition to his young disciple Timothy in his second letter. On Wednesday, the Feast of Timothy and Titus, I read a recent column from this Bishop which further elevated my already high view of this man of God. I set it forth in it's entirety below.  The Bishop wrote his second book last year entitled "Effective Faith: faith that Makes a Difference" which can be purchased here. The author demonstrates this very kind of faith. I now present a recent column written by the Bishop after President Obama's speech at the service held for the victims of the violence in Tucson, Arizona. It was published in the Rhode Island Catholic for his regular column "Without a Doubt" and is entitled "The President's Speech; Why I Wasn't Impressed."   

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The President's Speech; Why I Wasn't Impressed Bishop Thomas Tobin Once again our nation has been rocked by a terrible act of senseless violence - the shooting in Tucson, Arizona in which several were wounded, including a member of Congress, and several others were killed, including a federal judge and a beautiful little nine year-old girl. Since that deadly day nearly two weeks ago, the story has dominated the news; we've learned many details about the deranged shooter and his innocent victims; we've debated the causes and consequences of the event; and we've prayed for all those who have suffered so much from the violence. President Obama traveled to Tucson and did his level best to offer his sympathy and support, to encourage a city and a nation, and to invite us all to a better future marked especially by more civility in public discourse. In asking us to learn from and move beyond the terrible moment, the president appealed to Holy Scripture and to the better instincts of the human family. Noble sentiments all. As some have said, and I agree, it was his best moment as president. As I watched Mr. Obama, though, and later reflected on his speech, I sensed there was something missing; there was something that left me cold, unimpressed and unmoved. And suddenly it became clear. The problem, at least for me, is that President Obama's persistent and willful promotion of abortion renders his compassionate gestures and soaring rhetoric completely disingenuous. "O come on, Bishop Tobin," I hear you say. "Abortion's not the only moral issue in the world." Correct, I respond. Abortion's not the only moral issue in the world but it is the most important. And, I confess, abortion policy is the prism through which I view everything this president says and does. Is there any longer any doubt that Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion president we've ever had? President Obama has enthusiastically supported the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade that has allowed virtually unrestricted access to abortion in our nation and has resulted in approximately 50 million deaths since 1973.

President Obama has consistently surrounded himself with pro-abortion advisors, and has appointed pro-abortion politicians to key positions in the federal government, including his two nominees for the Supreme Court. President Obama has promulgated policies, including the overturn of the Mexico City Policy (within the first few hours of his presidency) that requires taxpayer monies to provide abortions around the world. Similarly he signed an executive order that forces taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research; he signed a bill that overturned the 13-year-long ban of abortion funding in the nation's capital; and he directed the passage of health care legislation that opens the door to federal funding of abortions and could eventually limit the freedom of religion for individuals and institutions who find abortion morally repugnant. President Obama has made abortion a key foreign policy issue, pressuring nations to accept abortion policies; he's supported several pro-abortion initiatives of the United Nations; and he's appointed Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State. Secretary Clinton has had a consistent pro-abortion record and in her international travels has promoted abortion as a human right. The full accounting of President Obama's track record on abortion goes on for eight typed pages, a very sad and discouraging litany. The net effect, though, is that President Obama's shameful record on abortion leaves his touching tribute and appeal to goodness in Tucson - and other expressions of compassion - sterile and meaningless. As he stood on the stage in Tucson, he was a prophet without credentials; his speech, a song without a soul. Perhaps the president's most moving rhetoric was that about Christina Taylor Green, the precious nine-year-old slain in the barrage of bullets. As a father of two beautiful daughters himself, the president's words were surely personal and sincere. Of this child he said: "In Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic and full of magic . . . So deserving of our love." But I can't help but ask, respectfully, "Mr. President, why can't you see our other children - so curious, so trusting, so energetic and full of magic, and so deserving of our love - in all of the unborn children who didn't live because of our nation's embrace of the abortion option?" And in one of the most dramatic moments of his speech, Mr. Obama announced that the wounded congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, opened her eyes for the first time just after he'd completed his visit to her. "A miracle" some proclaimed, and certainly a welcome sign of recovery at which we all rejoice. But I can't help but wonder how many tiny eyes will never open, will never see the light of day, because of this president's shortsighted and zealous promotion of abortion. It's truly tragic that our president - for whose safety and well-being we pray all the time and who has demonstrated an impressive ability to inspire other people - is unable to see the deadly consequences of his abortion agenda. Perhaps we need another miracle, to open his eyes, that he might see and understand how wrong abortion is, how sinful it is, how violent it is, and how it's destroying the life of our nation. ***** Please pray for Bishop Thomas Tobin. By the way, he follows Pope Benedict's recent admonition to the clergy to use social media for their ministry and can be followed on facebook here. 

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