Cherie Blair defends pro-life credentials
by Jenna Lyle
Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2008, 8:27 (GMT)
Cherie Blair insisted on Friday that she supports the Catholic Church’s position on the right to life.
Security was tight at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome after it received more than 200 complaints from pro-life supporters over Mrs Blair’s appearance.
“I am on the record as having had difficulties with accepting the current [Catholic] teaching of responsible parenthood,” said Mrs Blair, who has in the past admitted using contraception and is a known supporter of the largest abortion agency in the UK, the Family Planning Association. The Catholic Church is a staunch opponent of birth control and abortion.
She said at the end of the lecture, “I am pleased that the University was not put off by the complaints and although I am not Miss Perfect for sure but I don't have horns and a tail.
“I have been a practicing Catholic all my life and it would be rather strange if I didn't adhere to the teachings of the Church.
“My own life illustrates that but there is a real danger in this debate if we ally contraception and abortion as the same and the Church needs to engage in this issue properly.”
Her lecture came as the Vatican published its document on human life, also in Rome on Friday, which affirms the Church’s view that human beings are entitled to dignity and respect from the moment of conception and posses an absolute right to life.
Welcoming the publication of ‘Dignitas Personae’, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O’Brien said that universal and fundamental human rights had been “utterly destroyed” in the UK, most recently by the passing of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.
“As well as defending human life, this document also welcomes and endorses scientific research, making it clear that such work must be ethical and effective,” he said.
“I would urge any Catholic working in these fields to examine their conscience very carefully in the light of this informed and explicit teaching.
“Ultimately such individuals must ask themselves if their work is compatible with their faith."
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Added: Saturday, December 13, 2008, 12:44 (GMT)
As reported here, Cherie Blair claims to adhere to the teachings of the Church yet acknowledges "difficulties accepting" aspects of current teaching.
What?
Yes, we are all sinners. But for Mrs Blair the failure to adhere to the Church’s teaching is not only a private matter. She uses her public position to actively promote policies which run wholly and severely contrary to Church teaching including the intentional killing of innocent human life.
The Catholic Church recognises the primacy of conscience but places upon its members an obligation to properly inform that conscience and that includes an obligation to read, reflect and, if still necessary, consult on the Church’s teaching. However, even if one is following a properly informed conscience in differing from Church teaching one cannot then claim to adhere to it.
Mrs Blair also misrepresents the Church in claiming that the Church allies “contraception and abortion as the same”. Here she is demonstrating either the depth of her ignorance of Church teaching or the lengths to which she is prepared to go in misrepresenting the Church. Clearly the Church recognises that these two things are not the same, although there is an element of commonality in the thinking behind her opposition to both. On the basis of this misrepresentation Mrs Blair calls for the Church to "engage .. properly" in the matter of contraception and abortion. To suggest that the Church has not “engaged properly” on these matters demonstrates a level of both arrogance and ignorance which is just breathtaking.
I trust that those who invited Mrs Blair to share her wisdom with this august Catholic University will have attended her talk. If so, might I suggest they have already done sufficient penance?
Pauline, Weybridge
