Abortion statement declared 'out of bounds'
Catholic newspaper has been hauled into court for its statements about abortion.
The Katowice Appeal Court upheld a lower court's verdict against the Sunday Visitor and Fr. Marek Gancarczyk, the paper's editor-in-chief. Joseph Meaney, director of international coordination for Human Life International (HLI), reports the allegation is that the newspaper referred to abortion as "killing" a child.
"It is an amazing legal disrespect for both freedom of religion and freedom of the press," Meaney comments. "The judge actually had the gall to say that Christianity is a religion of love and this is what the language used by the Catholic press should be like. They're not allowed to say that abortion is the killing of a child."
The HLI coordination director finds it interesting that the paper's circulation has doubled since court action began, and people are now rallying to its side.
"The defense was citing what Mother Theresa of Calcutta said, 'If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another,'" Meaney reports. "In other words, that statement from Mother Theresa would have been declared out of bounds in the Polish press."
The paper has been fined and ordered to publish an apology written by the court, but the case will be appealed. Meaney says neither the publication nor the church is backing down. Freedom-loving citizens are also lodging complaints with appropriate authorities.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: March 17, 2010
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Illinois Federation for Right to Life
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