Vatican official says pro-life stand doesn't impede religious freedom

Published: 2004-08-13

PARIS (CNS) -- A pro-life stance does not infringe on the freedom of religion; rather, all governments have a duty to protect life from the moment of conception to its natural end, said a top Vatican official. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said protecting human life "is not a position of faith"; it is an obvious fact born from reason. His remarks appeared in an interview published Aug. 13 by the magazine of the French newspaper Le Figaro. However, anyone opposed to protecting the right to life also would be acting against the Catholic faith, said the cardinal. "A politician who takes a different position, who does not respect the image of God (in man) and the inviolability of the human person, is also in opposition to the rational elements of faith" and to the "fundamental elements of the Christian conscience," he said. Cardinal Ratzinger's comments follow an ongoing debate within the Catholic community on whether a priest or bishop should deny Communion to a Catholic politician who supports public policies that stand in opposition to church teachings -- particularly on right-to-life issues.

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