San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone is pictured in a file photo celebrating Mass outside the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption as part of a rosary rally. (CNS photo/Dennis Callahan, Archdiocese of San Francisco)
Washington D.C., Sep 22, 2021 / 10:00 am (CNA).
The Archbishop of San Francisco warned that an abortion bill to be voted on in Congress this week amounts to “child sacrifice.” He called on Catholics to pray and fast for the defeat of the bill.
“This proposed legislation is nothing short of child sacrifice,” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said in a Tuesday statement regarding the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755).
The bill, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), recognizes the “statutory right” of women to have abortions. It also states the “right” of doctors, certified nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners and doctor’s assistants to perform abortions. It prohibits many limitations on abortion, such as state pro-life laws requiring ultrasounds or waiting periods before abortions.
“Any reasonable person with a basic sense of morality and inkling of decency cannot but shudder in horror at such a heinous evil being codified in law,” Cordileone said.
The bill overrides prohibitions on “pre-viability” abortions, and would also allow for late-term abortions without “meaningful” limits, the U.S. bishops’ conference has warned, calling it “the most radical abortion bill of all time.” The bill is scheduled to be considered by the House this week.
“This deceptively-named, extreme bill would impose abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy through federal statute,” wrote Archbishop Joseph Naumann, chair of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, in a Sept. 15 letter to members of Congress.
“It would force all Americans to support abortions here and abroad with their tax dollars,” he added, and “would also likely force health care providers and professionals to perform, assist in, and/or refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as force employers and insurers to cover or pay for abortion.”
Archbishop Cordileone on Tuesday said the bill “shows to what radical extremes the supposedly ‘Pro-Choice’ advocates in our country will go to protect what they hold most sacred: the right to kill innocent human beings in the womb.”
He expressed support for Archbishop Naumann’s warning about the bill, and advocated for members of Congress to instead pass legislation supporting both mothers and children.
Cordileone called it “especially shameful that any self-professed Catholic would be implicated in such an evil, let alone advocate for it.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a Catholic who resides in the San Francisco archdiocese, announced the House vote on the bill earlier this month after a Texas pro-life law went into effect restricting most abortions after detection of a fetal heartbeat. She vowed to “enshrine into law reproductive health care for all women across America.”
Cordileone pointed to Pope Francis’s recent statements calling abortion “murder,” during a press conference on a papal flight.
“This principle is so clear, and to those who cannot understand, I would ask two questions: is it right to kill a human life to solve a problem? Scientifically, it is a human life. The second question: is it right to hire a hitman to solve a problem?’” Pope Francis said.
Archbishop Cordileone on Tuesday said that the Women’s Health Protection Act “is surely the type of legislation one would expect from a devout Satanist, not a devout Catholic.”
He concluded with a call for “all Catholics in our country immediately to pray and fast for members of Congress to do the right thing and keep this atrocity from being enacted in the law.”
“A child is not an object to be thrown away, and neither is a mother’s heart,” he said. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the answer to a woman in a crisis pregnancy is not violence but love. This is America. We can do better.”
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 30, 2023 / 14:08 pm (CNA).
A former priest for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was indicted on charges that he allegedly sexually abused a minor, according to a Thurs… […]
Swiss Guard cadets prepare their armor in the guards’ barracks at the Vatican on April 30, 2024. / Credit: Matthew Santucci/CNA
Vatican City, May 5, 2024 / 17:00 pm (CNA).
For the newest class of 34 Swiss Guards who will be sworn in on Monday, their service is based on faith and a love for the Church and the pope, as storied as the uniform itself.
“For me it was something, first and foremost, to give something to the Church, because the Catholic Church gave us a lot when I was a child and with this service, I can give something back,” explained Nicolas Hirt, one of the new guards who hails from the Swiss canton of Fribourg.
The cadets, joined by their instructors, gathered for a media event on April 30 in the courtyard behind the barracks adjacent to the Sant’Anna entrance, which was adorned with the flags from each of the Swiss cantons.
The Swiss Guard’s annual swearing-in ceremony will take place on Monday, May 6, in the San Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. There, the new guards will solemnly raise their right hands, with three fingers extended, representing the Holy Trinity, and proclaim their oath: “I swear I will faithfully, loyally, and honorably serve the Supreme Pontiff and his legitimate successors and I dedicate myself to them with all my strength. I assume this same commitment with regard to the Sacred College of Cardinals whenever the Apostolic See is vacant.”
Swiss Guard cadets drill at the Vatican on April 30, 2024. Credit: Matthew Santucci/CNA
There was a palpable sense of pride, perhaps even a hint of nervousness, as the young men marched last week in the storied corridors, perfecting the ancient rites ahead of a day that will mark a milestone in their lives.
Renato Peter, who comes from a small village near St. Gallen (the first from his village to enter the guards), said he first developed a desire to enter into the service of the papal guards after a trip to Rome in 2012 with his diocese.
“When you work in the Vatican, you have to feel like you go back in history because a lot of European history has been made here,” said Peter, who is mindful that those who wear the iconic tricolor uniform bear a great responsibility and represent a connection to the history of the Church.
“We are the smallest military in the world,” Peter continued, emphasizing that service in the Swiss Guards is like no other. “But, we are not training to make war. We are like the military, yes, but we’re for the security of the Pope.”
The Swiss Guard is indeed the smallest standing army in the world, numbering only 135 members (Pope Francis increased its ranks from 110 in 2018), protecting not only the smallest sovereign territory in the world, Vatican City State, but also acting as the personal security force of the Holy Father.
This year the Swiss Guard celebrated 518 years of service to the Apostolic See. Its history dates back to Jan. 22, 1506, when 150 Swiss mercenaries, led by Captain Kasper von Silenen from the central Swiss canton of Uri, arrived in Rome at the request of Pope Julius II.
But the swearing-in ceremony takes place on May 6, marking the anniversary of the Sack of Rome in 1527 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V when 147 guards died protecting Pope Clement VII.
The Swiss Guards form an integral part of the history of the papacy, and a core component of the security apparatus of the Vatican, but they also occupy a special palace in the popular imagination, one underscored by a profound spirituality.
“It’s another world, another culture, and above all doing a fairly unique job, that is to say, there is the protection of the Holy Father,” said Vice-Corporal Eliah Cinotti, spokesman for the guards.
“I don’t think there are many of us who are lucky enough to have the opportunity to serve the Holy Father in that way, therefore the Swiss Guard is a quite unique institution.”
Cinotti observed that for many of the pilgrims coming to Rome, which is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the guards act as a point of encounter between the people and the Church, shedding light on an evangelical dimension of their mission.
“Since we are Swiss Guards and represent the pope, we are also there to be Christians, to listen to these people. There is no specific training for this because it already comes from our Christian character to help others.”
Service in the Swiss Guards is both physically and psychologically demanding, and the entry requirements are strict, even though the guards do not face deployment to active war zones, like conventional soldiers.
A prospective guard must hold Swiss citizenship, be Catholic, single, and male (after five years in service the guards are allowed to marry), and be at least 1.74 meters tall (approximately 5’8”). They are required to have completed secondary school (or the equivalent) and have completed mandatory military service.
Despite what some may consider prohibitive entry restrictions, Cinotti noted, during the annual call for applications there are anywhere from 45-50 applicants, and there has not been a problem with recruitment.
During the first round, prospective candidates go through a preliminary screening and, if selected, they will sit with a recruitment officer in Switzerland for an initial interview, which generally lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour. Candidates also have to undergo an intensive psychological test, to assess whether they can withstand the demands of the job.
Should their candidacy proceed, they are then sent to Rome where, for the first two months, they are exposed to the working environment of the Vatican, and around 56 hours of intensive instruction in Italian. Their instruction also includes an emphasis on their cultural and spiritual formation.
Swiss Guard cadets inspect their armor in their barracks at the Vatican on April 30, 2024. Credit: Matthew Santucci/CNA
The cadets are then sent to the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland, where they are instructed in self-defense and the use of firearms by local police. While the guards carry medieval halberds — an ax blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft — during official papal events, each is equipped with a 9mm GLOCK 19 Gen4 pistol, taser, and pepper spray.
There is also a two-year minimum service requirement after which they can decide to remain, or return to Switzerland.
“About 80% return to Switzerland and 20% stay,” Cinotti said. “And the 80% who return to Switzerland go to the police or the army or return to their basic profession or go to study at university.”
He also noted there have been some years where a guard will discern a vocation to the priesthood. “And we also had a certain point, people who entered the seminary at the time, one per year more or less.”
He added: “We haven’t had anyone for two years, but I think they will arrive, or rather it’s a question of vocations.”
Swiss Guards stand in the middle of Paul VI Hall during Pope Francis’ general audience on Jan. 10, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media
Cinotti spoke on the myriad security challenges that a guard will have to face in his day-to-day work, which can last anywhere from six to 12 hours of continuous duty, noting that there has been an uptick in the number of people coming to the Vatican for help.
Cinotti also noted that for all of the guards, there has been the additional learning curve of adapting to Pope Francis’ pastoral style, which has brought him in close proximity to the faithful during his audiences in Rome and his travels abroad.
“Pope Francis is like every pope,” Cinotti remarked. “He has his own style, and we must adapt to the pope.”
“If he wants to go to contact the people of God, we must guarantee that, of course, everything is fine, but we cannot prevent it. He does what he wants, he is the pope,” he added.
While this can raise some logistical problems, Cinotti reassured that the guards have been trained to respond to possible threats. He said they have developed a symbiotic, and always professional, relationship with Francis.
“He transmits a certain serenity and a certain awareness that we are there next to him, we are there, like the gendarmerie, which allows us to operate in complete tranquility on the ground without being disturbed,” he said.
“He likes to change plans and will change plans throughout the day,” Cinotti added, “but it suits us very well because we adapt to him and we do this service and for us, it is still important to guarantee his safety.”
CNA Staff, Oct 27, 2020 / 10:05 am (CNA).- As new Justice Amy Coney Barrett takes her seat at the Supreme Court, one of the first decisions on her desk will be the court’s consideration of whether to review Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ba… […]
10 Comments
The good archbishop doesn’t miss any opportunity for his necessary teaching. God bless him.
What you have written here – your grace – is the – ‘ GOSPEL TRUTH’. We need to cry to God through the hands of our Blessed Mother Mary to help us combat this culture of death eroding our world of today.
“Any reasonable person with a basic sense of morality and inkling of decency cannot but shudder in horror at such a heinous evil being codified in law,” Cordileone said. The crux of the issue is in the definition of any “reasonable person.” The height of self-absorption is killing another human being for your own “well-being” or convenience. There is a lack of gratitude for one’s own life when supporting the killing of another. What if every “mother” decided that her life and convenience was paramount? My mother was less than wonderful, but I am grateful that she didn’t kill me before I had a chance to live in this world.
Well, Archbishop, elections have consequences, and thanks to your “brother” bishops who shilled for Biden, this is what we have, isn’t it? Prayer and fasting? Persuading politicians and legislators? Let’s start with persuading bishops. And then we can try to regain ground with American Catholics who drifted to Biden and democrats, thanks to those “brother” bishops and our pope. Wait, excuse me, we need to circle those wagons, don’t we?
Amen!!! As loudly as possible. Our own shepherds have sold American Catholics down the river, for a mess of pottage: government money for their pet projects. We need to clean house, and perhaps the Lord will do that…it will be horrendous but sorely needed. We need names of bishops…so we can stop funding their projects. If we want to give to the poor, the government has programs for them.
Why not go out on a limb, and after the vote have the bishops publish which party voted at least 99% for the bill, if not 100%. Bishops call for us to contact our congressman on these types of bills, but they never really say which party is promoting and voting for these bills to kill unborn babies. It seems they don’t want to offend the party of death so that the government funds keep coming for the things they care most about.
I am disappointed by some of the comments here at CWR in reaction to Abp.Cordileone’s courageous and articulate teaching. The task is gargantuan. Check out Russill Shaw’s article today, “Changing hearts and minds more difficult than changing abortion laws”. It is clear to me that Abp. Cordileone is all about changing hearts and minds and that he is under no illusion that a quick fix is on the horizon.
The perfect example of the one big difference between a socialist/democrat and a Republican.One Champions Love & Life the other Hate,Death, & Misery.There is NO “Gray”
Area.Science proves this so.Even after 60 Million of Gods Creations erased.It’s still never enough for a socialist/democrat.
By their actions in the past ‘catholics’ such as Pelosi, Biden, Lieu et. al have excommunicated themselves, but so far there has been no Bishop who has, in effect, made that ‘official’.
It seems to me that that time is now fast approaching, and that Archbishop Cordileone will be the one to do it. At that point a great battle will be joined, and the MSM in all their perfumed absurdity and in high dudgeon (I don’t use that word much) will raise the momentuous issue of ‘separation of church and state’, proving once and for all, (as if there were the need for any more proof), that – they just don’t get it.
Hopefully I can shed a few unneeded pounds as my part of the battle.
and it is so “re-freshing to her Nancy Pelosi’s response to the honorable Archbiship, by quoting scripture and implying that abortion (infanticide)is acceptable because it falls under God’s giving us “Free Will.” You know else quotes scripture like that? SATAN!
The good archbishop doesn’t miss any opportunity for his necessary teaching. God bless him.
What you have written here – your grace – is the – ‘ GOSPEL TRUTH’. We need to cry to God through the hands of our Blessed Mother Mary to help us combat this culture of death eroding our world of today.
“Any reasonable person with a basic sense of morality and inkling of decency cannot but shudder in horror at such a heinous evil being codified in law,” Cordileone said. The crux of the issue is in the definition of any “reasonable person.” The height of self-absorption is killing another human being for your own “well-being” or convenience. There is a lack of gratitude for one’s own life when supporting the killing of another. What if every “mother” decided that her life and convenience was paramount? My mother was less than wonderful, but I am grateful that she didn’t kill me before I had a chance to live in this world.
Well, Archbishop, elections have consequences, and thanks to your “brother” bishops who shilled for Biden, this is what we have, isn’t it? Prayer and fasting? Persuading politicians and legislators? Let’s start with persuading bishops. And then we can try to regain ground with American Catholics who drifted to Biden and democrats, thanks to those “brother” bishops and our pope. Wait, excuse me, we need to circle those wagons, don’t we?
Amen!!! As loudly as possible. Our own shepherds have sold American Catholics down the river, for a mess of pottage: government money for their pet projects. We need to clean house, and perhaps the Lord will do that…it will be horrendous but sorely needed. We need names of bishops…so we can stop funding their projects. If we want to give to the poor, the government has programs for them.
Why not go out on a limb, and after the vote have the bishops publish which party voted at least 99% for the bill, if not 100%. Bishops call for us to contact our congressman on these types of bills, but they never really say which party is promoting and voting for these bills to kill unborn babies. It seems they don’t want to offend the party of death so that the government funds keep coming for the things they care most about.
I am disappointed by some of the comments here at CWR in reaction to Abp.Cordileone’s courageous and articulate teaching. The task is gargantuan. Check out Russill Shaw’s article today, “Changing hearts and minds more difficult than changing abortion laws”. It is clear to me that Abp. Cordileone is all about changing hearts and minds and that he is under no illusion that a quick fix is on the horizon.
The perfect example of the one big difference between a socialist/democrat and a Republican.One Champions Love & Life the other Hate,Death, & Misery.There is NO “Gray”
Area.Science proves this so.Even after 60 Million of Gods Creations erased.It’s still never enough for a socialist/democrat.
By their actions in the past ‘catholics’ such as Pelosi, Biden, Lieu et. al have excommunicated themselves, but so far there has been no Bishop who has, in effect, made that ‘official’.
It seems to me that that time is now fast approaching, and that Archbishop Cordileone will be the one to do it. At that point a great battle will be joined, and the MSM in all their perfumed absurdity and in high dudgeon (I don’t use that word much) will raise the momentuous issue of ‘separation of church and state’, proving once and for all, (as if there were the need for any more proof), that – they just don’t get it.
Hopefully I can shed a few unneeded pounds as my part of the battle.
and it is so “re-freshing to her Nancy Pelosi’s response to the honorable Archbiship, by quoting scripture and implying that abortion (infanticide)is acceptable because it falls under God’s giving us “Free Will.” You know else quotes scripture like that? SATAN!