Church disagrees with Obama on abortion

The bishops of the United States and the Vatican have expressed their disagreement with new American president Barack Obama's decision to abolish the law banning the use of federal funds to finance organizations that promote abortion in developing countries. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-life Activities stated that "an administration that wants to reduce abortions should not divert U.S. funds to groups that promote it." During his presidential campaign, Obama repeatedly insisted that he is not in favor of abortion, but wanted to reduce its practice without making it illegal. Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Episcopal Conference, wrote to Obama before his inauguration to urge him to continue the policies of his predecessors. "The Mexico City Policy, established for the first time in 1984 has wrongly been attacked as a restriction on foreign aid for family planning," Cardinal George stated. "In fact, it has not reduced such aid at all, but has ensured that family planning funds are not diverted to organizations dedicated to performing and promoting abortions instead of reducing them." The Vatican expressed its own disappointment when Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, stated to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that "if this is one of the first acts of President Obama . . .the path towards disappointment is very short."

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• abortion
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• Bishops