New Catholic Bishop of Detroit Says Obama’s Pro-Abortion Stance Concerns Him

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 21, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

New Catholic Bishop of Detroit Says Obama’s Pro-Abortion Stance Concerns Him

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 21
, 2009

Detroit, MI (LifeNews.com) — The new Catholic bishop of Detroit says he is very concerned about the stridently pro-abortion stances of newly-minted president Barack Obama. Archbishop Allen Vigneron said he is disappointed that Obama plans to begin his administration by signing an executive order to fund foreign abortions.

In an interview with the Detroit News, the head of the Archdiocese of Detroit said the Catholic Church must continue to be politically involved to stand up for human life.

"I share the concern of all of the bishops of the United States that the administration has, at least prior to the election, given us indications that they are going to rescind some of the protections of the unborn," Vigneron said. "And I am very disappointed in that."

"We are going to have to represent our opposition as forcefully as we can and try to build coalitions to dissuade the administration from moving to that," he added.

Despite Archbishop Vigneron’s condemnation, Obama is expected today to overturn the Mexico City Policy, a Bush protection that ensures taxpayers are not required to fund groups that promote or perform abortions in other nations.

The Catholic official also responded to questions from the newspaper about the ongoing debate concerning whether or not to deny pro-abortion politicians communion.

The question is pertinent to Michigan because the state’s governor, Jennifer Granholm, is a Catholic who favors abortions and also supports embryonic stem cell research.

"I am not going to answer any hypothetical questions like that, especially from this distance," said Vigneron, who spoke with the newspaper by phone from his Oakland office.

"I simply want to affirm that part of being a Catholic is having a conviction that on these moral matters, the church speaks the mind of Christ. And I want to help Catholics, especially Catholics in responsible positions, to maintain the integrity of their professions," he explained.

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