Obama and the Pope – on abortion

Yesterday President Obama and Pope Benedict XVI met and discussed, among other things, ethical concerns like abortion. Below is an extract from Newsweek. I hope the Pope pressed him on two things: (1) that talking about reducing either the need for or number of abortions can be measured — is it happening? and (2) that Obama’s personal view that it is wrong and his political support are not consistent for a Christian.

Obama’s assurance to the pope that he would read the Vatican

document on bioethics … on the plane to Africa. “Dignitas Personae” (dignity of a person) condemns abortion, artificial fertilization and embryonic stem-cell research.

“He sure seems to signal to the Vatican that they are going to attend and listen” on these issues, said Schneck.

It was a far different picture of Obama’s relationship with
Catholics than before his speech/honorary degree at the University of
Notre Dame commencement, when more than 60 bishops wrote letters
objecting to the event and Catholic protesters turned the area around
Notre Dame into a circus.

“What a long way we have come in two months,” said Schneck. He
predicts we’ll see a “pragmatic, businesslike and cordial” relationship
between the Vatican and Obama–unlike relations between Obama and some
American Catholics.

NYTimes pieces on this topic.