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Toronto Archbishop Slams “Sad” and “Negative” Proposal by Liberal Leader Ignatieff

By John-Henry Westen

TORONTO, February 4, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Archbishop of Toronto has taken issue with statements made by Liberal Party of Canada Leader Michael Ignatieff, pushing for abortion in the maternal health G8 initiative proposed by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 

“In light of the many positive contributions that Canada can make to the improvement of maternal and child health, it is astonishing that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Michael Ignatieff, has issued an official statement advocating contraception and abortion as fundamental elements in addressing this important issue,” said Archbishop Thomas Collins in a release today.

“When there are so many obvious practical steps that can be taken to promote maternal and child health throughout the world, it is sad to see Mr. Ignatieff introduce into the discussion this negative proposal, which in no way serves to improve the health of mothers or children, but which rather imperils the most vulnerable among us,” added Archbishop Collins.

Praising Harper’s initiative, the archbishop said: “There are many fruitful ways to improve maternal and child health, and the discussion should centre on the most effective strategies for doing this. We all await with keen interest the tangible measures that the Prime Minister will propose.”

Archbishop Collins said, “Certainly the provision of clean water, the expansion of immunization, and the assurance of a supply of adequate food are among the ways in which the goal of improved health can be attained.”

Ignatieff has been severely criticized by Canadians of all political stripes for injecting abortion into the widely appealing proposal to provide basic necessities to expectant mothers and children in the developing world.

Ignatieff was also criticized by pro-life groups as an extremist on abortion.  The Toronto Archbishop seemed to suggest the same as he remarked, “Even those who think that abortion should be allowed do not, however, propose it as a positive contribution to the good of society.”

 

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