Cardinal Marc Ouellet held a news conference today in Ottawa to clarify remarks that got him in trouble last week -- not that anything should have needed clarifying if reporters had considered the total context of his remarks before writing their stories. Sadly, in this age when communications has never been easier, accurate communications might be more difficult than ever. Anyway, he called today for a reopening of the abortion debate in Canada. And before it gets reported that the issue has long been settled in this country, polled Canadians beg to differ.
Open debate on abortion? The Catholic Church funds a huge pro life infrastructure in North America. They have scores of websites and newsletters. Activist memberships. Political representation. They constantly put themselves forward in the public media through inflammatory press releases and public demonstrations. Their spokespeople and public leaders have very high levels of name recognition with the public.This has been true for decades.
ReplyDeleteThat this effort has provoked little in the way of organized opposition and no political progress toward the recriminalization of abortion is not because the Catholic church hasn't made an effort and nobody is stopping the Church from continuing its efforts forever it it pleases them to do so.
I suspect that the media and general public are currently anti clerical right now, not anti Catholic. There is a great deal of fear and loathing for the priesthood and the more elevated the position of the priest the greater it is.
You are confusing two different things.
The other issue, of course is whether or not you will find anyone willing to debate the pro choice cause. There is no Church or organization that devotes much time or money to this effort, similar to the pro life side. Planned parenthood devotes most of it's effort towards education, contraception and venereal disease screening. They perform abortions for those that want them, not argue the merits of the procedure.
If Red Marc wants to fund some public opposition to the pro life movement in order to stimulate the public debate, maybe someone would be interested.