the Pope says abortion is like ‘hiring a hitman’

Via RT.com, May 25, 2019: ‘Pope Francis says abortion is like ‘hiring a hitman’ amid heartbeat law protests in the US’

“As the issues of the legality and morality of abortion consume the national debate in the US, Pope Francis has thrown his weight behind the pro-life side, comparing the procedure to hiring an assassin.

The pontiff, who is known for his outspoken aversion to the practice, tore into the proponents of abortion as an inalienable human right. Speaking at an anti-abortion conference in the Vatican on Saturday, he argued that there is no excuse for taking away a human life – even in cases in which the fetus has a debilitating medical condition and the newborn might die at birth or shortly thereafter.

“Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem? Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?” Francis asked, stressing that a sick fetus should be provided with all possible care, as should the parents, who need to be prepared to cope with their loss.

“Taking care of these children helps parents to grieve and not only think of it as a loss, but as a step on a path taken together.”

Francis, as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has not shied away from controversial comparisons before. Last October, he spoke along the same lines, equating abortion with “resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem.” Before that, he compared the practice with a version of the Nazi eugenics program.

While the Vatican’s rhetoric might sound extreme to pro-choice activists who fight against blanket bans on abortions, Francis has reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s centuries-old opposition to the practice, which it considers a mortal sin.

The strongly-worded remark from Francis comes as the issue is grabbing headlines in the US media after half a dozen states passed restrictive anti-abortion bills or are prepared to do so.”

[The rest concerns the penalties in states for doctors who provide terminations, a temporary injunction, and so on.]

Well good, Pontifex: if you don’t want to terminate any of your pregnancies, don’t.  Who in the world should decide for any woman the extent of her reproductive rights, including making it a serious crime for ‘the hitmen’ to secure them?

When the smoke at the Vatican came up white for you, it was said that you’re a devout proponent of Liberation Theology (Marxist Catholicism). 

Given that, I guess you might want to consider issuing a Papal Bull that mandates that your churches around the globe to sell all their gold, jewels, art collections and portfolios in order to offer poor women the chance to be able to afford those babies, most especially the ones with severe medical issues, no?  Shoot, even if were only the Vatican’s massive wealth it would help.  What, $500,000 per family?  Twice that?

And not to call you a hypocrite or anything, but I seem to remember your having beatified west coast Native American hitman Junipero Serra not all that long ago.

“Only God knows how many Indians Serra personally killed, but it was in the hundreds, if not the thousands. He had men garroted, hanged, shot, jailed, and whipped. The Indian women were treated almost as cruelly—they were raped, enslaved and abused. The women were restricted to the houses of the ranchos, and slept in prisons at night.

The first person to expose Serra was the late, great Rupert Costo. A full-blooded Cahuilla Indian, Rupert and his wife Jeanette Henry founded the American Indian Historical Society in 1950. They also wrote numerous books on Indians, founded the first national Indian newspaper (“Wassaja”), and published dozens of books on Indians.”

Sure, we remember your tall, handsome, dishy spokesman noting the ‘not every saint is perfect’ and euphemisms on that order at the time, but few non-Catholics bought that hogwash.  No, I won’t even dig too far into your canonization of Mother Teresa, including all the damage she’d done during her life preaching against condoms and terminations, while ‘nursing AIDS patients’, the spread of which could have been helped by the use of condoms, as would have unwanted pregnancies.  But you’d seen her perform miracles posthumously, it seems.

Come to think of it, isn’t it in your power to undo the dictum that the small percentage of married Catholic priests are required to remain celibate?  What’s up with that?  And then encourage more to marry?  Mightn’t that diminish the number of pedophile priests you’re said to be…dealing with…after all these years?  Or is priestly pedophilia more about exerting power over kids than just libido? 

But meanwhile, may I suggest that you open your Bible and meditate on Fallopians 1:22?

(cross-posted from Café Babylon)

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The Aspie Corner's picture

Can't say I'm shocked. Religion has always preached against the working class and this is another example. Abortion is a class issue as much as anything else.

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

wendy davis's picture

@The Aspie Corner

amplify on this:

Abortion is a class issue as much as anything else.

at least within the catholic church, the preaching had amounted to 'plebians: know your place. this is what god had intended for you.'

but fancy that sign's message; i love it witlessly. ; )

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thanatokephaloides's picture

“Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem? Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?” Francis asked,

MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) is "a life" (sic). Is it licit to hire antibiotics to solve the problem of necrotizing fasciitis?

stressing that a sick fetus should be provided with all possible care, as should the parents, who need to be prepared to cope with their loss.

“Taking care of these children helps parents to grieve and not only think of it as a loss, but as a step on a path taken together.”

Gaaakkkkk! Bad Bad Bad Bad Bad

Of all the worthless pious twaddle I ever read, this takes the urinal cake!

No, I won’t even dig too far into your canonization of Mother Teresa, including all the damage she’d done during her life preaching against condoms and terminations, while ‘nursing AIDS patients’, the spread of which could have been helped by the use of condoms, as would have unwanted pregnancies. But you’d seen her perform miracles posthumously, it seems.

The simultaneous prohibition against abortion and birth control was the cause of my first split with the Church (I'm now Pagan).

And all of the miracles required for Catholic Sainthood must be performed posthumously, i.e., the faithful pray to the proposed Saint, asking her to ask God for a boon. If two such boons are verified, the way is cleared. If she was killed in odium fidei -- because she upheld the Catholic Faith -- only one such boon is required.

And the canonization of Mother Theresa (Agnes Bojaxhiu) is only marginally related to her alleged virtues as a person. Rather, it's a land grab. The historical Christian Church of Albania and North Macedonia is Orthodox. The canonization of Mother Theresa is part of a campaign to Catholicize these parts of Europe, converting their Orthodox Churches into "Uniate" Churches which maintain the old Orthodox ritual forms while becoming subject to the Roman Pope.

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

wendy davis's picture

@thanatokephaloides

is seriously disgustingly virtue-signaling isn't it? as if he'll have to do the same.

but i love your MRSA hitman analogy, but as to that, RT had a bit of news that some scientists actually have figured out a new drug to fight it, at least as per earthworms so far. wish i'd kept the link, but i reckon you could find it searching within RT.

The simultaneous prohibition against abortion and birth control was the cause of my first split with the Church (I'm now Pagan).

and good on you. thanks so much for the requirements of sainthood, and for the information that her canonization was partially by way of a land grab. an awesome new slant for me. i do so loathe hearing folks honk on about her glorious life, including her lost faith, found again faith...so miraculous! you shmucks! look what damage to human life she's caused caused with her 'christian piety'.

as with st. teresa, 'suffering is good'.

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wendy davis's picture

@thanatokephaloides

i'm an apatheist in the vein of iris dement. ; )

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaoR5m4L80]

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snoopydawg's picture

When gawd gives men the miraculous power to have babies then they can speak out on what people do with their bodies during their pregnancy.

BTW, Francis has the church rescinded its asinine policy for not letting HIV positive men use a condom? Nothing like condemning poor babies to a lesser life and fighting its affects.

'Nuther BTW, Francis...I'm not hearing you condemning everyone involved with wars and the death penalty. Oh sure you say that you're against them, but did you ever withhold communion from the congress critters that voted for war like your church did for those that upheld a woman's right to choose?

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

wendy davis's picture

@snoopydawg

but not advocate for, pass legislation for punishing those who find the need to terminate a pregnancy or to use birth control. reproductive rights start and end with a person's own decision.

holy fukkery, batman!: are these things true?

BTW, Francis has the church rescinded its asinine policy for not letting HIV positive men use a condom?

ol, yeah, but he IS tweeting about climate change issues (as if it isn't all baked in already, imo)!

but did you ever withhold communion from the congress critters that voted for war like your church did for those that upheld a woman's right to choose?

worse.than.i'd.thought. especially for a Liberation Theologist. can they then not be buried in consecrated ground?

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snoopydawg's picture

@wendy davis

I don't remember which pope it was that said that, but I was righteously torqued when I heard it. This was when AIDS was exploding in Africa and people were trying to get condoms out to keep people from being infected. This was my last straw for the Catholic Church, but I'd already had one foot out the door.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

wendy davis's picture

@snoopydawg

in any event, but withholding communion? thus mama and babby unable to be buried in 'consecrated cemetery soil'? i know that for believers that it's a huuuuuge deal.

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detroitmechworks's picture

Also demands that female cult members provide victims for documented pedophiles.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBwKm8u8Rc4]

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

wendy davis's picture

@detroitmechworks

might say: 'oh, strangle christ'. awesome; thanks.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

...and egocentric reasoning that infects the forced birthers is a blight on civilization.

I blame the Iron Age misfits who practiced animal husbandry by day and stared with clueless wonder at the stars by night — and during the course of their solitary activity with their sheep and fellow shepherds indulged in RPG adventures and escapist fiction, which later became the foundations of modern religion. The key superhero of these Iron Age shepherds was a dude named Abraham, who would eventually be immortalized in the holy books of the Abrahamic Religions — along with the semetic anthropomorphism of animal husbandry, which views women as livestock. Over the millennia, the RPG fantasy adventures of these ancient shepherds caught on and virtually evolved into an epigenetic mind virus with heritable qualities. This mind virus that has subtilely altered the proteins expressed and the structural variations formed in some brains.

The key issue here is the concept of 'women as livestock' that is embraced through an RPG fantasy focuses on a blob of protoplasm that has lodged in her body, while her mind perceives it as an alien invasion. A body snatcher, if you will.

In this social media multi-player game, the outside participant (or voter) assumes the role of "animal husband" or "alien shepherd" who must control the woman's body long enough to fully incubate the alien protoplasm inside of her until it grows large enough to sustain its own life outside of her body. After it is cut out or forced out of her body, the RPG gamer (or voter) wins. God's will has been done.

The Rational Wiki describes the original RPG fantasy set-up, which can also be used for an infinite variety of mind and/or body controlling games:

Abraham (אַבְרָהָם (Avraham) in Hebrew, and ابراهي (Ibrahim) in Arabic) is a psychologically disturbed character fictionalised in the Tanakh, Bible, and Qur'an. He is a central figure in the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. His name is synonymous with religious faith after he heard God's arbitrary demand to kill his son and then went ahead and tried it.

Abraham's choice to listen to the voices in his head and murder an innocent vulnerable human being, is the central theme of faith and virtue of Judaism, Christianity and Islam — which is why they are known as the Abrahamic religions. There are no sources on Abraham apart from an ancient and unverifiable book and copycat texts that followed. Abraham was considered a hero of his time for his attempted infanticide.

If he existed today, Abraham would be accurately labelled a schizophrenic animal shepherd who took the voices in his head seriously instead of seeking psychological help. In the 21st century we have many effective treatments for mental breakdowns and ideally his problem would never have elevated to attempted murder. Despite the fact that his actions are now criminalized and considered reprehensible, even by the Abrahamic religions, people still worship Abraham as the ultimate virtuous God-believer. He is the kind of Jew/Christian/Muslim most worshipers wish they could be if they weren't so concerned with incarceration and being committed to mental institutions.

The consequences of this story has doomed the earth for several thousand years and still does in the 21st century.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
wendy davis's picture

@Pluto's Republic

time get dinner on the table, but i'll be back later.

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@Pluto's Republic Abraham killed lots of people in the desert. Men, women, children...as God Himself directed.
That is my opinion, based upon what I have read, but I am not sure.
Just speculating, Abraham was a mass murderer.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

wendy davis's picture

@Pluto's Republic

as per the duality of abrahamic religions, was abraham about to offer his son to placate a cruel, demanding god...ishmael or issac? and thus between the battle between the 'christians' and the muslims commenced, as well as The Crusades to smash the infdel once and for all.

but yes, women as chattel slaves, nonetheless. i offer my thanks profoundly for the rational wiki entry you've provided, as well as the concept of 'forced birthers'.

great formulation, upside down Pluto!

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wendy davis's picture

and g' night. it's closing time for me, an while i dunno that this song is precisely right, it's close enough for me.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OperfSW9S9I]

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and curses Republican Southern Illinois at the same time!
https://capitolfax.com/2019/05/31/during-house-prayer-minister-asks-god-...
Time to stop letting these smug bastards lead "prayer" in the Legislature. A clear violation of Church and State.
Not to mention radical priest Father Pfleger letting a Muslim rant against Jews in his pulpit.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

On a technical forum, a poster made a swipe at "leftist attitudes". I answered very restrained, pointing out that the right also restrains thought and that the Democratic Party was in no way Leftist. I mentioned Alabama's abortion law. A third poster contacted me privately on the forum and said that Alabama's abortion law finally makes people suffer the consequences of their choices. I pointed out the case of a raped 13 year old. Incredibly he replied that anyone who was raped made a wrong decision as to where to go or who to trust and should suffer the consequences of that poor decision.
I suppose that I should have responded, but I figured "what's the point". Besides I wanted to anally rape HIM with a red hot poker and see how he dealt with the consequences of his poor decision in letting me near him, and that's never a good sign in a conversation.
Yeah, these are Holy Men. Wholly scumbuckets.

EDIT: That actually happened to some gay English King. One of the Edwards, I think. Only it was a sword not a poker.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

karl pearson's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness It was Edward II (1284-1327).

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wendy davis's picture

@karl pearson

fine a point on it not being hot, but muammar gaddafi as well (as hellary c. brayed her glee)

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@karl pearson
I think it happened in a church, too. (????)
Good to see you post, Karl, now that Booman Tribune has jumped the shark.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

karl pearson's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness King Edward II was murdered in Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire.

https://www.berkeley-castle.com/

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@karl pearson

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

wendy davis's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

dream life, with plenty of nightmares, but last night i'd dreamt that when i'd clicked into c99 this morning, there was a diary up entitled: 'Sadly, miscarriages have been criminalized'. whoooosh, but it did remind me that there'd been moves afoot in that direction earlier. so i bingled once i got online and found:

Ga. Law Could Give Death Penalty for Miscarriages’, feb. 23, 2010

“It’s only February, but this year has been a tough one for women’s health and reproductive rights. There’s a new bill on the block that may have reached the apex (I hope) of woman-hating craziness. Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin—who last year proposed making rape and domestic violence “victims” into “accusers”—has introduced a 10-page bill that would criminalize miscarriages and make abortion in Georgia completely illegal. Both miscarriages and abortions would be potentially punishable by death: any “prenatal murder” in the words of the bill, including “human involvement” in a miscarriage, would be a felony and carry a penalty of life in prison or death. Basically, it’s everything an “pro-life” activist could want aside from making all women who’ve had abortions wear big red “A”s on their chests."

I doubt that a bill that makes a legal medical procedure liable for the death penalty will pass. The bill, however, shows an astonishing lack of concern for women’s health and well-being. Under Rep. Franklin’s bill, HB 1, women who miscarry could become felons if they cannot prove that there was “no human involvement whatsoever in the causation” of their miscarriage. There is no clarification of what “human involvement” means, and this is hugely problematic as medical doctors do not know exactly what causes miscarriages. Miscarriages are estimated to terminate up to a quarter of all pregnancies and the Mayo Clinic says that “the actual number is probably much higher because many miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy that a woman doesn’t even know she’s pregnant. Most miscarriages occur because the fetus isn’t developing normally.”

will this sort of bill be revived? one can certainly imagine so...especially if there are no docs left in some states to perform terminations.

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@wendy davis
Another candidate for the red hot poker treatment (see my comment above).

Warped beings like this belong locked up where they can't hurt others, not in politics making laws.

And this actually passed?
Dems might as well not even bother campaigning in the South.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

wendy davis's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

that was in georgia, 2010, but that's why i'd asked:

will this sort of bill be revived? one can certainly imagine so...especially if there are no docs left in some states to perform terminations.

me, i'm not a fan of the hot poker punishment, but then i'm against torture in all respects. now some issues can make me ping thought crimes, but not such grisly ones, i guess. tumbrel carts for instance; it's a snap! ; )

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acT_PSAZ7BQ]

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than the Catholic Pope?

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Pricknick's picture

when a pope has something of substance to offer.
Better yet, let me know when he lives like a pauper, a recipient of government relief or public charity, which is every day.
Religion is a curse upon honest work and thought.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

wendy davis's picture

@Pricknick

thus my suggestions as to what Francis might do as an alleged liberation theologist Marxist catholicism). divest of trillions' worth of assets, give them to the poor who won't be able to secure terminations.

but suffering is good for parents, i'd forgotten...prolly tells the poor their reward will be in heaven if the're good catholics and obey all the rules.

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Filthy foul institution... been so since its inception. Corruption oozes from every brick in the Vatican.

Most people who have been paying attention to Francis from the start KNEW he was no progressive and those of us who brought this up often on DKos were charged with heresy and religious bigotry (by so-called Democrats no less... Timeaus are your ears ringing?)

Women who choose to have abortions are like hitmen. Seriously, he said that. And I know women who still walk into those churches to worship. They are just as much part of the problem as the Pope, and it's time to tell them so. No more "respect" for my friends' religious feelings. Done with that.

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

@Fishtroller 02
As opposed to being born into it? IOW, most people are brainwashed as children.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

wendy davis's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

to a non-denominational church (kinda creepy with cartoonish pulp books to thumb thru, featuring shite w/ hooded cobras) on catawba island on the shores of lake erie, later sang in a choir in a church in kent, ohio, but then they fired the awesome director, and was told we had to officially join the church to sing, and i said 'thanks but no thanks'.

my parents didn't give a toss, but my now-estranged sister was a whole 'nother story. switched ideologies and strident beliefs as one might change...never mind. ; )

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wendy davis's picture

@Fishtroller 02

i had lot of 'religious' clients in my massage/soul therapy practice, but i couldn't help but ask a few of the Catlicks why they'd stick w/ the church w/ so many pedophile priests. (not fair of me, really, but one was my office landlord and neighbor).

their answers were completely unsatisfying, although i can't remember their actual responses.

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