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Speaking from ignorance at L'Osservatore Romano

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | May 22, 2009

 Gian Maria Vian, the outspoken new editor of L'Osservatore Romano, justifies his assertion that President Obama is not pro-abortion by asserting that "the President said that the approval of the new law on abortion is not a priority of his administration."

The new law on abortion? What new law? From the pro-abortion perspective, there's no urgent need for a new law, since the status quo allows for unrestricted legal abortion on demand.

Apparently Vian is speaking about the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). It's true that President Obama has not made FOCA a priority. But FOCA is not the top priority for the abortion lobby today, and anyway the President heads the executive, not the legislative, branch. Obama has used his executive authority to the hilt, quickly trashing the Mexico City policy and questioning the "conscience clause." Soon he will nominate a new member of the Supreme Court, and few observers doubt that his favored candidate will be 100% pro-abortion.

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.

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