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Freedom Writer - May 1995 [ref001] Catholic politicians face Pope's wrath Catholic politicians who back abortion, even reluctantly, bear a greater responsibility before God than do women who undergo the procedure, Vatican leaders said. The question of whether they should be excommunicated is open to debate, they suggested. The leaders made their comments at a news conference in Rome after the release of Pope John Paul II's new encyclical, _Evangelium_Vitae_ (The Gospel of Life). The 194-page document brands abortion and euthanasia as evils that no law can justify. It called for active nonviolent opposition to both. It also condemned contraception and the death penalty. The encyclical dismissed claims by politicians who say they oppose abortion but are compelled by their position to uphold laws allowing it. Politicians cannot renounce their consciences when they take on legislative duties, the Pope said. Critics accused the Pope of encouraging widespread civil disobedience, in contradiction of biblical teachings. _Reprinted_by_permission_from_National_and_International_Religion_ Report._ [ref002][ref003] Return to table of contents Copyright 1995 IFAS The Freedom Writer / ifas@crocker.com [ref001] ../banner.gif [ref002] index.html [ref003] ../../uparrow.gif This file is copywritten by the Institute for First Amendment Studies. Subscribe to The Freedom Writer and Walk Away news letters by writing to or telephoneing the Institute for First Amendment Studies: Post Office Box 589 Great Barrington, Massachusetts. 01230 Telephone: (413) 528-3800 E-Mail: ifas@crocker.com Web page: http://www.crocker.com/~ifas

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