Vatican Newspaper Separates Fact from Fiction Praising Obama's Speech at Notre Dame

by Georgia Kijesky
VATICAN CITY – In an article titled, "Obama in Search for Common Ground," L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper said Monday that President Barack Obama was clearly looking for some common ground with his speech at the University of Notre Dame about abortion.

The Vatican newspaper also says that Obama chose the ceremony at Notre Dame to restate his position that FOCA "is not a priority for his administration."

"Obama’s speech at the leading Catholic university on Sunday confirmed what he had said at a recent news conference — that signing the so-called Freedom of Choice Act in the U.S. Congress wasn’t his highest legislative priority. The bill would protect a woman’s right to have a child or end a pregnancy," L'Osservatore says.

The article did not mention the protest by dozens of U.S. Catholic bishops who denounced Notre Dame for honoring Obama because his abortion rights record clashes with fundamental church teaching. Instead, it simply quoted Obama as inviting all Americans to work together to reduce the number of abortions and unwanted pregnancies, and concluded he was searching for common ground on the “delicate question of abortion."

L'Osservatore managed to casually acknowledge, however, that "Strong polemics have marked the weeks following the invitation to President Obama made by (ND) President, Fr. John Jenkins. And also yesterday, as was completely predictable, demonstrations were not missing."

In addition, L’Osservatore Romano gave Obama a positive review after his first 100 days in office, saying in a front-page editorial that even on ethical questions Obama hadn’t confirmed the “radical” new direction he had discussed during the campaign.

Clearly, in this article, L'Osservatore paints a picture based solely upon President Obama's flowery rhetoric that completely contradicts his severe pro-abortion actions since taking office 120 days ago.

The article highlights Obama's invitation "to Americans of all faiths and ideological convictions to hold hands in a common effort to reduce abortions."

However, a few pages later, L'Osservatore Romano writes a far more critical article of Obama's stand on embryonic stem cell research, titled, "Campaign in the US against stem cells."

CNAnews reports,
"According to the new guidelines," the Vatican newspaper says, "after President Barack Obama reversed the decision of the Bush administration regarding the ban on (federal funding for) embryonic stem cell research, for the first time taxpayers' money will be used to kill human beings in embryonic state to obtain stem cells."

In the article, L'Osservatore Romano extensively quotes Cardinal Justin Rigali and Archbishop Charles Chaput, one of the most vocal critics of Obama’s anti-life policies.

"The Archbishop of Denver –the Vatican newspaper says- insists that 'American public life cannot function if we keep our religious beliefs in the closet … the US does not need to be a Christian country, but it cannot survive if it is not open to solidarity and faith."

"Finally," L'Osservatore’s story concludes, "Archbishop Chaput expressed his perplexity regarding the White House opening speech of the U.S. President Barack Obama, the day of his installation, regarding the role of science in society. 'Science’ said the Archbishop of Denver, ‘has to be at the service of human dignity, but will never be above or outside God's moral judgment. Jews, Protestant, Catholics and other believers have a common treasure to protect: faith in God, and we must defend Him with mutual respect without excuses, alibis or conflicts'."

By quoting Archbishop Chaput's recent conference at the Becket Fund Dinner, L'Osservatore ignites some hope that the Vatican is supportive of the American Bishops' strong criticism to Obama's anti-life policies.

Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI and Obama are expected to meet in July, when the U.S. president is in Italy for a Group of Eight summit.