Politics
Tuesday August 7, 2007
New Emphasis on Life and Family from Head of Maronite Catholic Church
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By John-Henry Westen
BEIRUT, LEBANON, August 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, spiritual head of the more than 15 million Maronite Catholics spread throughout the world, has in the past few months launched a new emphasis on life and family issues. Charbel El-Chaar, the Founder of St Charbel for Life, the first Arab Catholic Pro-Life website on the Internet (http://lilhayat.com/ ), spoke with LifeSiteNews.com about the significant development.
El-Chaar quoted from homilies delivered by the Patriarch in June which addressed rejecting homosexual 'marriage', rejecting homosexual adoption, and the fact that those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies are not permitted to become priests.
Moreover, the Patriarch also preached about the right to life for unborn children and the low birth rate.
While the Maronite rite, like the Roman rite of the Catholic Church has always been pro-life and pro-family, El-Chaar told LifeSiteNews.com that the recent emphasis coming from the Patriarch is both novel and instructive. He hopes for a renewed effort on the part of Maronite Catholics around the world to promote life and family.
"The supporters of abortion consider the child a hindrance to autonomy, pleasure, and career," said Patriarch Sfeir in June. Rather, said the Patriarch, life is a miracle and a child is one of the most significant gifts of God.
Speaking of the tragedy of abortion, the Patriarch said "The 20th century was the deadliest age of mankind." Citing statistics on the tens of millions of children killed by abortion and abortifacient contraception, the Patriarch said that the death toll "often neglects many victims, chief among the victims are the victims of surgical abortion, abortion pills and (hormonal) birth control."
The full pro-life homily (from June) in Arabic here:
http://marcharbel.lilhayat.com/Maronite-batrak/Batrak-pro-life-vs-pro-aboriton.h...
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Maronite Church Bishop: We're 100% Pro-Life; We Don't Preach the "Comfortable Gospel"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07020905.html
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- BREAKING: US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 - 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Today
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 218 to 215
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.