Obama Takes Heat From Vatican Over Abortion

by Rob Walker | January 26, 2009 at 12:08 pm

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President Barack Obama repealed a ban on US funding for foreign family planning groups who offer abortion services, and the Vatican is furious.

The repeal of the ban has many detractors, and the Vatican was issuing releases and denouncing the choice in their official newsletter.

President Obama is probably not itching for a fight over abortion. But he might get one. With unusual speed, the Vatican has condemned Obama's Jan. 23 repeal of the ban on U.S. funding for foreign family planning aid groups who offer abortion services.

One Archbishop, Rino Fisichella who is the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, had some harsh words for the new president:

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told the newspaper that the repeal of the abortion-funding ban was done with "the arrogance of those who, having power, think they can decide between life and death."

SENIOR VATICAN figures have criticised President Barack Obama on the same day that it was officially confirmed that the Pope had lifted the 1988 excommunication of four traditionalist “Lefebvre” bishops.

Already some bloggers are jumping on the Vatican for their stance:

The Vatican seems less than pleased that the new President has reversed the gag-rule regarding abortion, along with birth control, but what does the Pope know about sex? Well, to be fair, the Catholic Church seems to know quite a bit about sex, but normally those relationships are not legal due to the age of those being molested.