Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Italian bishops getting a little political
I think it's a good thing they're starting to get involved . . . maybe the people will come back as well.
Rome, Mar. 16 (CWNews.com) - Italian Catholics have no choice but to abstain from a national referendum on assisted procreation, according to the secretary of the Italian bishops' conference.
Msgr. Giuseppe Betori said that Catholics who are planning to participate in the vote are taking an "immature" approach to the subject. "The only choice for a Catholic is to abstain," he said.
Speaking to the press after the release of a statement adopted by the Italian bishops at a meeting in Rome last week, Msgr. Betori explained that the bishops had unanimously endorsed the argument in favor of abstention, since there is no option available to voters that would be consistent with Church teachings. He said that he did not understand how a voter who plans to participate in the referendum could consider himself a good Catholic.
The bishops took their stance after receiving a report from a panel convened by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the president of the episcopal conference, to study the Italian voters' options. The nationwide referendum will give voters an opportunity to overturn the Italian laws restricting artificial forms of procreation. While Catholic leaders have pointed to severe flaws in the existing laws, which conflict with Church teachings on multiple points, the elimination of all restrictions on assisted fertilization would be disastrous, they have argued.
The referendum will ask voters whether they wish to eliminate restrictions on experimentation with human embryos, the creation of multiple embryos for in vitro fertilization, and the use of donors to furnish eggs and sperm for a childless couple. On these questions, Msgr. Betori observed, a Catholic's choice should be clear. Asked whether a Catholic voter could claim a "right of conscience" in supporting the referendum, he replied: "The conscience should be properly formed!"
The Italian bishops note that the referendum will fail if it does not receive the support of a simple majority of eligible voters. Thus abstention-- denying a quorom for the vote-- is a legitimate political option.
Rome, Mar. 16 (CWNews.com) - Italian Catholics have no choice but to abstain from a national referendum on assisted procreation, according to the secretary of the Italian bishops' conference.
Msgr. Giuseppe Betori said that Catholics who are planning to participate in the vote are taking an "immature" approach to the subject. "The only choice for a Catholic is to abstain," he said.
Speaking to the press after the release of a statement adopted by the Italian bishops at a meeting in Rome last week, Msgr. Betori explained that the bishops had unanimously endorsed the argument in favor of abstention, since there is no option available to voters that would be consistent with Church teachings. He said that he did not understand how a voter who plans to participate in the referendum could consider himself a good Catholic.
The bishops took their stance after receiving a report from a panel convened by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the president of the episcopal conference, to study the Italian voters' options. The nationwide referendum will give voters an opportunity to overturn the Italian laws restricting artificial forms of procreation. While Catholic leaders have pointed to severe flaws in the existing laws, which conflict with Church teachings on multiple points, the elimination of all restrictions on assisted fertilization would be disastrous, they have argued.
The referendum will ask voters whether they wish to eliminate restrictions on experimentation with human embryos, the creation of multiple embryos for in vitro fertilization, and the use of donors to furnish eggs and sperm for a childless couple. On these questions, Msgr. Betori observed, a Catholic's choice should be clear. Asked whether a Catholic voter could claim a "right of conscience" in supporting the referendum, he replied: "The conscience should be properly formed!"
The Italian bishops note that the referendum will fail if it does not receive the support of a simple majority of eligible voters. Thus abstention-- denying a quorom for the vote-- is a legitimate political option.
