Vatican Defends Appointment of Pro-Abortion Philosopher to Pro-Life Academy
The head of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life defended the appointment in its roster Nigel Biggar who supports legal abortion. The appointment of a pro-abortion philosopher to the academy is seen to contradict the Church's pro-life stance and defense of the value of human life from "womb to tomb."
Pope Francis' appointment of Bigger as one of the 45 ordinary members of the academy has caused a stir because of his earlier statements and writings in support of abortion and euthanasia. In a keynote address at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in 2012, he said: "it is not true that all abortion is equivalent to murder."
But Bigger defended his qualification by saying: "I have on the other hand written a lot about voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide, spoken about it in the U.K., Ireland, France, and Canada, and consistently opposed their legalization. On those two issues, my conclusions align with those of the Roman Catholic Church."
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Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who heads the academy, defended the appointment, saying Bigger was personally recommended by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He assured that the professor will not engage in abortion debates as a member. He further reaffirmed the Vatican's unwavering opposition to abortion.
Critics, however, can't help but point out that the academy had many high-caliber pro-life members who were picked by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for their credentials and loyalty to the Church's teachings. Those pro-lifers were let go and were not invited back because they were openly critical of the direction the academy has been taken in recent years, it was alleged.
Former Academy member Judie Brown, president of American Life League, said the Academy under Pope Francis' leadership has lost its way. "Pope Francis has created a revised version of the sainted Pope John Paul II's vision that is not only scary, but also in many ways ugly to behold," she wrote.
