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'Unprecedented' Letter from 7 Bishops Conferences to G8 Leaders Fails to Mention Abortion, Family Life

Editorial

By John-Henry Westen

The G8 countries, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are known for being the eight leading industrialized countries.  They are also all known for permitting the slaughter of innocent unborn children - abortion.  All but one of those same countries are also on the road to legalizing homosexual 'marriage' and thus trashing the traditional family and religious freedom in the process.

As the G8 leaders meet this week we learn that "In an unprecedented action, the Presidents of the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of seven countries have written to the leaders of the Group of 8 Countries to urge bold action . . ."

Bold action on what?  Abortion? Destructive research on human embryos? The need to protect the traditional family? Religious freedom?

A hint . . .  The letter from the bishops' conferences to the G8 leaders says: "Our concerns for these issues arise from our religious and moral commitment to promote human life . . ."

Ah, it must be abortion, embyonic stem cell research, euthanasia and the deadly decline in respect for the sacredness of all human life. Right? Wrong!

From the first paragraph of their letter:

"Dear Leaders of the Group of 8 Countries: As you prepare to attend the G8 Summit in Germany, we write on behalf of the Bishops' Conferences of our respective countries to urge you to take bold action on global poverty, health care, climate change and peace and security."

Oh, but wait, they added a second sentence with another request . . . "We also urge you to work towards greater access to quality education for all."

A few paragraphs in the middle expand on the issues mentioned, and the letter concludes, "The G8 Summit will explore many issues of critical importance to human life and dignity. We pray that your meeting will be blessed by a spirit of collaboration that enables the G8 leaders to advance the global common good by adopting concrete measures on global poverty, health care, climate change and peace and security."

The letter, which was delivered G8 leaders on May 31, was signed by Cardinal Karl Lehmann, Bishop of Mainz, President of the German Bishops' Conference, Archbishop André Gaumond of Sherbrooke, President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux, President of the Bishops' Conference of France, Most Reverend Augustinus Jun'ichi Nomura, Bishop of Nagoya, President, Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, Most Reverend Joseph Werth, Bishop of the Transfiguration at Novosibirsk, President, Conference of the Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, President, Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, and Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The signature of Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, the President of the Italian Bishops Conference did not appear on the letter.

The incredulity and disgust of the pro-life and pro-family movements when such 'unprecedented' political efforts ignore the most fundamental human rights is more than palpable.  In writing their "unprecedented" letter the bishops conferences' leaders have very safely said nothing that was not already said by every politically correct group in the mix. 

What is not said to the G8, what our religious leaders need to stand up and tell them, is that the smallest, weakest, and most discriminated class of humanity - pre-born children - are being slaughtered in your countries and this crime against humanity must stop!

When people speak out on the environment, poverty, health care, peace and security they are applauded and highly regarded.  Raise the spectre of rights of the unborn and protection for the traditional family and you are regarded as a pariah and a simpleton.

The cross is an uncomfortable place, but the first bishops of the church joined their Lord on it because they understood that is where salvation and true witness to Christ are found. Embracing the cross is said to be the most fruitful imitation of the Master, who did not tell people what they wanted to hear, but instead what they needed to hear in order to be saved.

See the letter from the Bishops' Conferences to the G8 here:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/070605a.html

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