Letters

Root Cause

Marie Kennedy

Contents - Feb 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The Church and globalisation - Peter Westmore Education: Australia's Catholic school systems: the case for radical surgery - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World East Timor: priests threatened with execution - Peter Westmore Fr John Speekman: Vatican orders reinstatement of wrongly removed Sale Diocese parish priest - Michael Gilchrist Priesthood: Orthodox priests in a divided Church - Fr John Trigilio The Church and the environment: address the moral pollution first - Wanda Skowronska Salesians help rebuild post-tsunami Sri Lanka - Br Michael Lynch Why we need holy days of obligation - Joanna Bogle Music: Johann Sebastian Bach and the heavenly choir - Fr Finbarr Flanagan Letters: Shared guilt - Errol Duke Letters: Lost! - Moya and Leo Morrissey Letters: Truth and love - Chris Hilder Letters: Root Cause - Marie Kennedy Letters: Safe-sex? - Jack Blair Poetry: Gender-Bender Autos - Bruce Dawe Letters: Limbo? - Lawrence R. Hurley Letters: Manipulating language - Carol V. Phillips Letters: Obedience - Matthew Buckley Letters: Latin Mass - John Gariano Letters: Religious materials - J.W. Smith Letters: Catholic dolls - Anne Cramer Books: TREASURE IN CLAY: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM: Five Reflections on the History of the Church - Sr Mariana Handley (reviewer) Books: SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: Who Is It For and What Are Its Benefits? - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: B.A. Santamaria's correspondence published by MUP Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: Why the Church must continue to uphold priestly celibacy - Fr Pat Stratford

While the Australian Catholic Bishops have given clear explanation on the evils of human embryo research, is such teaching really relevant when given in isolation from the root cause of all anti-life practices, which is the "intrinsic evil" of contraception (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2370)?

The first IVF technicians argued successfully that, since society already accepted the destruction of embryos through abortifacients, it was obvious that society did not believe the embryo had any inherent rights or value.

If women use birth control pills, implants, IUDs and injectibles to kill the embryo in the womb why shouldn't scientists be permitted to kill or clone human embryos in the laboratory?

The Church cannot give effec- tive witness to society on "basic human values" (as stated) unless we, ourselves, embrace the fullness of truth on the said matter.

The genetic engineers have used exposure of the contraceptive issue to their advantage while we continue to settle for half-truths. Spiritually, we are in the perilous position of "wiping the outside of the cup while ignoring the corruption within" (Matt 23:25).

Why, also, are the genuine Catholic organisations which uphold the fullness of truth on marriage, so little known? One such example is Human Life International which was founded by the American priest Fr Paul Marx OSB and has long had a branch in Australia supported by loyal Catholics. Yet HLI receives no financial assistance from Church or State.

MARIE KENNEDY (MRS)
Goulburn, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 1 (February 2007), p. 14