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Will Pope Benedict XVI Lead an
Inter-religious Condemnation of the Forces Against Life
When He Visits these United States During Holy Week A.D. 2008?
The first message below is from Dr. John
Grady, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, a long time
pro-life author and campaigner. The second is an interview with Rabbi
Yehuda Levin from LifeSiteNews.com. Rabbi Levin is another
stalwart of moral decency, well known for logically articulating the Orthodox
Jewish position and often sounding more Catholic than most of our hierarchy.
Perhaps it is not to late for Pope Benedict to add a
paragraph or two about the sanctity of life and the family when he addresses the
United Nations
Organization during Holy Week (!) Or perhaps while in Washington
the days before he will choose to condemn all American politicians and lobbyists
who seek to undermine the moral values of Western Civilization. In Her
authentic teaching, the Church condemns joint worship with non-Catholics and
meetings which blur the distinction between Herself and the other religions of
the world. But Rabbi Levin's proposal correctly calls upon the Pope and
other religious leaders to jointly affirm the Eternal Law is it is known to men
through sound human reason in the Natural Moral Law. This is the
legitimate cooperation of men with moral suasion in the civil dimension of a
moral principle. Even among pagan societies it is the near approximation
of the civil law to the Eternal Law that gives that society legitimacy. A
reminder of this principle for all those who seek to govern is long over-due.
Whether all law is derived from the eternal law
Law is a certain plan directing acts to their end. Wherever movers are ordered
to one another, the power of the second mover must be derived from that of the
first, since the second mover operates only insofar as it is moved by the
first. We see the same thing in all governors. The plan of government is
derived by the secondary governors from the primary governor, just as the plan
of what is to be done in a state derives from the king through his command to
lesser administrators. It is the same in construction, where building plans
descend from the architect to the lesser craftsmen who work with their hands.
Therefore, since the eternal law is a plan of government in the supreme
governor, all plans of government in lesser governors must be derived from
eternal law. All laws besides the eternal law are plans of this sort devised
by inferior governors. Thus all laws are derived from eternal law insofar as
they participate in right reason. That is why Augustine says that "in
temporal law nothing is just and legitimate which men have not derived from
eternal law."
Saint
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I-II Q.93. a3
Summarized
in David Burr, in The Medieval Sourcebook, "Aquinas on
Law"
Immediately after his election Pope Benedict made it known
that he wanted to be contacted by the faithful with their concerns about the
Faith. He established an e-mail address for English speaking
Catholics at benedictxvi@vatican.va.
He has already heard from Doctor Grady and from me--perhaps it is time that he
hears from you.
in XTO,
Fr. Brusca
Send him mail
This article can
be
viewed full screen here.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
The Vatican
Dear Holy Father:
The Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem - Knights
Hospitaller, H.H. Dr. Sir John Grady, M.D., O.S.J., who has been called
"The Father of the Pro-Life Movement," calls upon His Holiness Pope
Benedict XVI to consider the unique appeal (see below) made to the Holy
Father at the March For Life held on January 22nd in New York City. This
wonderful event was attended by several hundred thousand pro-life
advocates.
Can you imagine having the Pope (as the leader of the Christian World) flying
to the U.S. to lead all the Catholics of America, as well as the Jews, Protestants
and other Pro-Lifers in America in a dramatic demonstration of
goodness, morality and concern for innocent life, as well as a strong rebuke to
supporters of abortion, especially politicians.
Or, in lieu of a personal trip here, your message could be given at a well
publicized rally or news conference through the means of live television.
Regardless, it should be a short, direct, clear condemnation of abortion,
euthanasia and genocide, but not another statement in support of Jewish
propaganda. (The referred news release follows below.)
Holy Father, you are our hope! We commend and support you in your
courageous efforts for the restoration of the Holy Roman Church and the
rejuvenation of the true Catholic Faith. Thus, you are in the daily
prayers of the Knights and Ladies of our ancient, noble Sovereign Order.
May our Saviour Jesus Christ give you long life, and send legions of angels
to surround and protect you.
WASHINGTON, DC, January 25, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- One of the most riveting and energetiic speakers at the March for Life Tuesday
was Rabbi Yehuda Levin. No stranger to pro-life Americans, Rabbi Levin has
represented more than 1000 Rabbis calling for moral laws. At the March, he made
an unusual appeal - asking Pope Benedict XVI to lead religious leaders on the
streets of New York in a declaration forbidding faithful to vote for politicians
who support abortion.
Rabbi Yehuda Levin, the Special Emissary to Israel for The Union of Orthodox
Rabbis of the United States and Canada and The Rabbinical Alliance of America,
addressed the hundreds of thousands of pro-life marchers with this message:
"I'm asking the Pope today. Call the Evangelicals, call the Jews and
everyone else and declare in the streets of New York in these extraordinary
times when babies are being murdered . . . when some are redefining marriage and
perverting our youth in society.
"Pope Benedict we need extraordinary measures.
"If the religious leaders will gather in the city of New York at the
invitation of the Pope and declare in the streets it is forbidden to vote for
any pro-abortion pro-deviance candidate.
"My dear friends, 20 to 25 per cent of America will surely applaud this,
and for the glory of God this would stop another huge amount of baby killing and
perversion.
"Please Pope Benedict you have the ability as the largest denominational
leader. You who lived through the Holocaust, answer the appeal of this Jew whose
mother-in-law bears the brand of Auschwitz, hear our plea. Help stop the
American Holocaust of abortion. The Holocaust of a world society losing its
respect for life. Prohibit voting for the pro-death and deviance
politicians."
LifeSiteNews.com spoke with Rabbi Levin about the proposal during the march.
Rabbi Levin said that he had spoken about his proposal with Boston Cardinal Sean
O'Malley, with St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke and also with Senator Sam
Brownback.
Rabbi Levin told LifeSiteNews.com that should Pope Benedict undertake the
proposal it would be an ecumenical event like none other. "There's almost
nothing he can do which would be more ecumenical in the true sense of the word -
inter-religious inspiring and helping the peoples of this world than to reassert
the rightful supremacy of religious leadership over political leadership,"
he said. "And with one statement in New York supported by the Rabbis and
Evangelical leaders and other denominational leaders we can change the balance
and start to shift respect for religious leadership back to its rightful
place."
Rabbi Levin has asked that all pro-lifers join in his appeal to the pope.
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