St. Louis archbishop vows defiance of new city ordinance on abortion
May 23, 2017
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has filed suit to block a new city ordinance that would make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of “reproductive health decisions.”
The ordinance, which was enacted in February over the strenuous opposition of Archbishop Robert Carlson, would make women who are actively considering abortions a “protected class” under civil-rights law. Thus an employer who refused to hire a woman because she expressed her plan to abort would be in violation, as would a school that refused to hire a teacher who supported abortion.
“Let me be perfectly clear: The Archdiocese of St. Louis will not comply with his ordinance,” Archbishop Carlson told a press conference. He described the measure as “a marker of our city’s embrace of the culture of death.”
In a federal lawsuit, the archdiocese is asking the court to halt enforcement of the ordinance immediately, and to declare the measure unconstitutional. The archbishop emphasized, however, that the archdiocese would not comply with the rule in any case.
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Posted by: robertbovenzijr5369 -
May. 24, 2017 1:47 PM ET USA
Jesus has already won the victory, yet as St. John Paul II told us, just as the church was/is growing stronger, so is the anti-church. The forces of evil have been especially active since Jesus' conception. Now, it seems a deeper level of the conflict, God v. Satan and his minions is here.
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Posted by: -
May. 24, 2017 12:52 PM ET USA
I stand with Archbishop Robert Carlson. the city fathers[City Council members?] are in error.
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Posted by: brenda22890 -
May. 24, 2017 5:56 AM ET USA
May God be with him; give him the courage and grace to stand up to this injustice.
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Posted by: jalsardl5053 -
May. 24, 2017 1:53 AM ET USA
Cardinal Carlo Caffarra: "The reply is simple: within the confrontation between creation and anti-creation, we are called upon to TESTIFY. This testimony is our mode of being in the world." Pray for the Archbishop of St. Louis for the forces of Satan are everywhere and have been given much power by man.
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Posted by: Faustina01 -
May. 23, 2017 11:30 PM ET USA
Good man! This is reason for TRUE RESISTANCE. 'Protecting' one class of people at the expense and killing of another class is never right. Those in the womb need as many advocates as the sea turtles.
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Posted by: feedback -
May. 23, 2017 8:13 PM ET USA
Archbishop Carlson is a rare example of a faithful shepherd after the Heart of Christ, who does not run away when the wolves approach. "Let me be perfectly clear: The Archdiocese will not comply with this ordinance" - this kind of firm resolve was missing from the USCCB when the Obama administration redefined "marriage." I was hoping to hear from the Bishops, "Let it be perfectly clear that the Church will never accept or recognize same-sex unions as "marriage."
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Posted by: Sed contra -
May. 23, 2017 5:06 PM ET USA
A bold and courageous stance. The archbishop is to be commended.
