Politics
Tuesday August 7, 2007
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
New Emphasis on Life and Family from Head of Maronite Catholic Church
By John-Henry Westen
BEIRUT, LEBANON, August 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, spiritual head of the more than 15 million Maronite Catholics spread throughout the world, has in the past few months launched a new emphasis on life and family issues. Charbel El-Chaar, the Founder of St Charbel for Life, the first Arab Catholic Pro-Life website on the Internet (http://lilhayat.com/ ), spoke with LifeSiteNews.com about the significant development.
El-Chaar quoted from homilies delivered by the Patriarch in June which addressed rejecting homosexual 'marriage', rejecting homosexual adoption, and the fact that those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies are not permitted to become priests.
Moreover, the Patriarch also preached about the right to life for unborn children and the low birth rate.
While the Maronite rite, like the Roman rite of the Catholic Church has always been pro-life and pro-family, El-Chaar told LifeSiteNews.com that the recent emphasis coming from the Patriarch is both novel and instructive. He hopes for a renewed effort on the part of Maronite Catholics around the world to promote life and family.
"The supporters of abortion consider the child a hindrance to autonomy, pleasure, and career," said Patriarch Sfeir in June. Rather, said the Patriarch, life is a miracle and a child is one of the most significant gifts of God.
Speaking of the tragedy of abortion, the Patriarch said "The 20th century was the deadliest age of mankind." Citing statistics on the tens of millions of children killed by abortion and abortifacient contraception, the Patriarch said that the death toll "often neglects many victims, chief among the victims are the victims of surgical abortion, abortion pills and (hormonal) birth control."
The full pro-life homily (from June) in Arabic here:
http://marcharbel.lilhayat.com/Maronite-batrak/Batrak-pro-li...
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Maronite Church Bishop: We're 100% Pro-Life; We Don't Preach the "Comfortable Gospel"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07020905.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Canada's Governor General Agrees to Suspend Parliament
- Study Shows Fertility Patients Want Frozen Embryonic Children Buried
- Planned Parenthood Suspends Employee Caught Covering Up Rape of 13-Year-Old
- Donate any Amount to LSN on Behalf of a Loved One and We Will Send Them a Beautiful Christmas Card!
- Grand Duke of Luxembourg Loses Veto Power After Threatening Veto of Euthanasia Law
- Vatican Archbishop Defends Rights of Parents to Educational Choice
- San Francisco Bishop Affirms Church's Role in Prop. 8, Calls for End to Disrespect
- Dutch Murder Case Following Late-Term Abortion in Spain Dropped
- Movie Reviewer for Catholic Bishops' Conference Praises Homosexualist Film - Again
- Vatican Attacked for Defending Natural Family
- Shock: Evangelical Leader Believes in Gay Civil Unions, Says OK to Vote for Obama
- U.K. Catholic Diocese will Continue to Collect Funds for Secularised Adoption Agency
- Purchase of Christmas Music CD By Pro-Life Priest is Great Way to Support LifeSiteNews
Most Read this Week
- Behind the Scenes of Volition: Coincidences and Startling Circumstances
- Ad Showing Woman Seducing Santa Promotes Free Morning-After Pills and Condoms for Christmas
- Movie Reviewer for Catholic Bishops' Conference Praises Homosexualist Film - Again
- A Painful, Disease-Ridden Death Isn’t So Bad if You’re Just a White, Heterosexual Male
- Abortion Now Number One Cause of Death in Spain
- Catholic Bishop: "Go Right Ahead and Arrest Me" Rather than Obey Freedom of Choice Act
- UK Catholic Adoption Agencies Voluntarily Refuse Religious Opt-Out Clause for Homosexual Adoption
- God is Pro-Choice Says Nun
- University of Calgary Pro-Life Students Victorious - Administration Backs Down from Arrest Threats
- IKEA’s Polish Catalogue Introduces “Ian and Steve” as a Model of the New Family
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.