TORONTO, July 25, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Toronto's Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic received thunderous applause as he responded to a question on abortion in a Catechesis session he offered yesterday as part of the World Youth Day celebrations. Asked about abortion and embryonic stem cell research the Cardinal said, “the Church will forever be opposed to it. I don't feel the Church has any choice in the matter” – a response which elicited heartfelt approval from his the several hundred youth in attendance.
Responding bluntly on the issue of embryo research he said: “You don't have to produce babies and kill them in order to experiment.” Buoyed by the supportive youth, the Cardinal made some of his most outspoken remarks calling the media “pro-abortion” for their slanted coverage of life issues.
The surprisingly forceful remarks from the Cardinal were given a prelude in his homily at the opening Mass of WYD in which he said: “When occasions arise we ought to present, calmly and confidently, the faith we live by; we must refuse to feign the politically correct tolerance which imagines that all religions and convictions and values are equally valid.”