Obama and the Vatican

Barack Obama's honeymoon is over with the Vatican.

From FOX News:

While President Obama's special envoy tries to broker peace in the Middle East and the White House dangles an olive branch before a near-nuclear Iran, a new foreign policy confrontation is in the making -- with the Vatican.

After he ended a ban last week on federal funding to international groups that perform or promote abortions, Obama is taking heat from the Roman Catholic Church, that political powerhouse based overseas.

Vatican officials said last weekend that they were disappointed by the president's decision to reverse the so-called Mexico City policy.

"Among the many good things that he could have done, Barack Obama instead chose the worst," said Monsignor Elio Sgreccia, a top official with the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life.

"If this is one of President Obama's first acts, I have to say, in all due respect, that we're heading quickly toward disappointment," said Monsignor Rino Fisichella, who heads the Academy.

This should come as no surprise to anyone. Obama is one of the most extreme anti-life presidents we've ever had. No, he IS the most extreme. Of course, Obama has begun his assault on human life.

I don't know how the 53% of Catholics who voted him can reconcile that. Most likely, they identified themselves as Catholics, but they don't practice the faith.

...Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the secretariat of pro-life activities for the United States Conference for Catholic Bishops, said the biggest fight will come over abortion.

"I would say the pro-life issue is the issue which we're most likely to come into direct conflict on," he said.

Obama isn't the first president to feel the wrath of the Vatican. Pope John Paul II held President Clinton's feet to the fire over embryonic stem cell research. And both he and Pope Benedict XVI castigated President Bush for America's pre-emptive war in Iraq. But observers say the Vatican's recent criticism of Obama appears to be more intense.

"My impression is they've gotten more militant and assertive on the life issue, where they're more willing to say we're not just going to state our position and look the other way," said Richard Esenberg, a law professor at Marquette University whose expertise includes religion. He noted that Catholic politicians have been excommunicated in recent years for not supporting positions consistent with the church's teachings.

It is clear that Obama's dispute with the church over abortion will extend beyond his reversal of the Mexico City.

I object to Eseberg's choice of words. The Vatican has gotten "more militant"?

I don't consider being vocal about the Church's positions to be "militant." That has a weird connotation.

But, yes, there is more assertiveness and that's good.

The church is coordinating a national postcard campaign to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a bill that could wipe out federal and state restrictions on abortion, including parental notification and informed consent laws. Some argue that FOCA is so broad it could eliminate "conscience clauses" that protect hospitals and doctors who refuse to perform abortions because of their beliefs.

"I think the Freedom of Choice Act is going to be a major bone of contention between not only the Catholic church and Obama, but also Evangelicals," Esenberg said. "The right-to-life movement will be extremely energized by FOCA."

Esenberg is right on that count.

FOCA is energizing the pro-life movement like nothing I've seen before.

That's understandable. The last eight years, we had President Bush in the White House, a Culture of Life champion, a defender of the weak, the vulnerable, and the unborn.

Obama has made it clear he will not protect the weak and the innocent -- the unborn.
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Rick Esenberg, Shark and Shepherd, comments on the FOX News article.