church on issues such as abortion and euthanasia, by respecting "the basic right to life from conception to natural death."
They are part of new guidelines approved by Pope John Paul II which were published Thursday, January 16, a week before the 30th anniversary of the United. States Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.
Demonstrations by abortion rights and anti-abortion groups are planned for next Wednesday, January 22, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The Vatican never disguised its irritation with Geraldine Ferraro, a Catholic and the U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate in 1984, for her position that she opposed abortion but also opposed outlawing it.
REGRET
Recently, former Italian Premier Giulio Andreotti, a practicing Catholic, said he deeply regretted having signed the law legalizing abortion in Italy when he was prime minister in 1978, AP said.
In the document The Vatican said the statement was issued amid what it called "unsettling advances" in the fields of science and medicine, such as developments in embryo research.
The guidelines, that were published by Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, also defend marriage between a man and a woman, and attack legal attempts to sanction "other forms of cohabitation," a clear reference to several countries that legalized same sex marriages.
"In no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on the same level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such."
PEACE
In addition the document also referred vaguely to issues of peace, saying Catholics should not confuse the church’s promotion of peace and rejection of violence with "secular" pacifist and ideological visions, AP observed.
Church watchers suggested the document seems also a reference to the pope’s opposition to war in Iraq is likely to make him a rallying point in the event hostilities erupt.
"The church recognizes that while democracy is the best expression of the direct participation of citizens in political choices, it succeeds only to the extent that it is based on a correct understanding of the human person," the document said. "Catholic involvement in political life cannot compromise on this principle."
BISHOP
AP quoted Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as welcoming the publication of the document.
It "addresses some of the profound challenges faced by Catholic politicians and voters who are confronted with various moral and social issues in the context of a democratic society," he said.
