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Another anti-abortion scholar for Obama

Posted by Michael Paulson October 3, 2008 05:54 PM

A second prominent anti-abortion Catholic legal scholar has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. Nicholas P. Cafardi, a law professor and the former dean of the Duquesne University Law School, is an establishment Catholic figure -- he is a leading expert on canon law, he spent 13 years as the general counsel for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, he spent three years on the board of the Canon Law Society of America, and he was appointed by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to the first National Review Board advising the church on its response to clergy sexual abuse. He authored an analysis of the bishops' response to clergy sexual abuse, "Before Dallas,'' that was published this year by Paulist Press.

Cafardi (right) explained his decision to endorse Obama in a column for the Religion News Service which was published in the National Catholic Reporter. An excerpt:

cafardi.jpg"Obama's support for abortion rights has led some to the conclusion that no Catholic can vote for him. That's a mistake. While I have never swayed in my conviction that abortion is an unspeakable evil, I believe that we have lost the abortion battle -- permanently. A vote for Sen. John McCain does not guarantee the end of abortion in America. Not even close....Every faithful Catholic agrees that abortion is an unspeakable evil that must be minimized, if not eliminated. I can help to achieve that without endorsing Republicans' immoral baggage. Overturning Roe v. Wade is not the only way to end abortion, and a vote for Obama is not somehow un-Catholic."

Cafardi is the second high-profile anti-abortion Catholic academic to endorse Obama; the first was Douglas W. Kmiec, a constitutional law professor at Pepperdine University who was formerly the dean of the law school at the Catholic University of America.

(Photo of Cafardi from Duquesne University.)

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20 comments so far...
  1. without providing Cafardi's explication of the Republican's "immoral baggage" that trumps their Pro-Life stance this article provides little practical incentive for Pro-Life voters : though after hearing Governor Palin assert that Russia attacked Georgia unprovoked, a foolish, dangerously provocative, and blatantly false statement that invites war with Russia along with Senator McCain's gratuitously bellicose statements against Russia during the height of the conflict in August I fear voting Republican because of its immoral warmongering that has lead to the deaths of countless pregnant women and children in Iraq - when Baghdad was first bombed and the effort was to kill Saddam American soldiers bombed a house in the city where Saddam allegedly was supposed to be thereby killing many who lived in the surrounding houses this was utterly immoral and only repeated over and over throughout the war with republican accolades -

    Posted by republicansprodeath October 3, 08 07:41 PM
  1. I truely feel sorry for Nicholas Cafardi. He is definitely lacking in faith if he believes that Roe v Wade can never be overturned. The Bible has shown over and over that if we stay faithful to God and His commands He will protect His people. This country is in serious trouble. God is asking us to trust Him, protect what is most precious to Him- human life. If we cannot stand up and protect what is most precious to God, how can we expect Him to help us in our time of need. Supporting Obama is not a good idea. Other than being a charismatic speaker, what exactly has he done? The devil has a way of deceiving people and making the wrong choices look attractive and even logical. I suggest Cafardi be very careful and implore all Catholics to vote like Catholis and vote PROLIFE! Support John McCain.

    Posted by Kellie Luty October 3, 08 07:53 PM
  1. Bob Casey added a welcome dimension to this debate when he pointed out that it was inhumane to seek and end to abortion without also seeking the care and support of both mother and child. If every man committed to overturn Roe v. Wade sought instead to protect the life safety and welfare of mothers and their children, we would be much closer to ending abortion.......Obama supports healthcare initiatives that support healthy babies and healthy mothers. In order to be truly Pro Life, on must Commit to Compassionate Care. When we are there, choice will no longer be a threat........I spoke to God, and She agrees........

    Posted by Christine M. Griffin October 3, 08 08:34 PM
  1. Cafardi didn't show up to a Catholics for Obama event he was supposed to speak at this last week in Pittsburgh. Students from Franciscan University of Steubenville went to the event to confront him for his support for Obama, because Cafardi is a trustee of Franciscan.

    You can read about the protest of the students here: http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Franciscan-University-Students-Attend-a-Catholics-for-Obama-Event.html&Itemid=102

    Posted by Billy Valentine October 3, 08 08:43 PM
  1. These pro abortionists that call themselves Catholics are really sometimg. Why don't they just give up on the RCC when it is so stifeling to their freedoms. God doesn't take away our freewill so why should a church? Of all the churches, the RCC is the most controlling, what with their brainwashing and their pedophilia problems since the yr 1. How any intelligent person can stay in an institution that defys all America stands for. Vote your concience and the hell with the evil, self serving RCC. I personally do not believe in abortion at any stage but I'm no longer a RC..

    Posted by gloria sullivan October 4, 08 01:36 AM
  1. Kellie Luty writes "The devil has a way of deceiving people and making the wrong choices look attractive and even logical."

    I would ask her to look at the last 28 years of which Republicans have dominated the Congress and the White House. Has America truly become a Christian nation over that period, or has it abandoned piety, disowned the poor, neglected the needy, discarded the ill and infirmed, and acted in a downright unGodly manner?

    Perhaps it is you that is being fooled. Does it not seem like this icon of "Roe v. Wade" keeps getting the Republicans elected, yet the Republicans do nothing to better the conditions of their fellow citizens? The Republicans speak of God, but it seems like every last one of them is corrupt. They concentrate wealth in the hands of few, they insite hatred throughout the world, and many seem to have perversions in their behaviour. Dispite all of the power they have had in government, they have never really tried to end aborton. Yet, they seem to be the right party to support. Why is that? Perhaps, my dear, it is the Devil fooling you. Think long and hard about that before you judge the wisdom of others.

    Posted by Bob October 4, 08 03:34 AM
  1. Abortion is the law of the land. Get over it. Fetuses aren't persons. Heck, the RCC doesn't even bother to give a Christian name to stillborns.

    Posted by John Phillips October 4, 08 07:22 AM
  1. Memo to republicanprodeath:

    There is a territory in Georgia called South Ossetia. The people there are ethnic Ossetians, and want to form their own country. Georgia opposes it, but Russia has supported Ossetians non-stop. Since 1991 Ossetian rebels have been attacking Georgian military targets in a bid for independence. Russia's invasion certainly would constitute attacking Georgia unprovoked. Georgia is a sovereign nation last I checked.

    Posted by Fred Garvin October 4, 08 07:36 AM
  1. "immoral baggage" is
    1) Starting a war on false pretenses and killing hundreds of thousands of BORN people
    2) Ignoring human rights
    3) robbing the nation blind
    4) Ignoring the poor, the middle class and workers and boosting the super-RICH
    5) Destroying the environment
    6) Endless lies. Lies, lies, lies, lies. Unbelievable, as if the truth was simply an inconvenience... Oh. It is.
    7) etc.... I have better things to do than to write five pages of bullet points on a Saturday.

    Cheers

    Thanks for your honesty Mr. Cafardi, after the Burke business, I was truly disappointed with the Catholic Church. (Again)

    Posted by Talleyrand October 4, 08 10:26 AM
  1. I just recently saw an ultrasound viewing the baby in the womb of it's mother. Astound I was to see how develope the baby was at only six months, the stretching of "his", legs, his mouth opening up and apparently holding him self. I have raised my three children, oldest now 25. I was only sixteen at the time. But never would I consider to abort something that is alive," the min of conception". Murder is Murder, and god don't change. " Thou shall not commit murder"!. I believe some of those should sit a watch the doctors perform an abortion, and truly see what the baby goes thru.

    Posted by L. Emard October 4, 08 10:37 AM
  1. The Ban-Abortion Movement is a scam.

    Any serious strategy for accomplishing anything must include a way to measure its success or non-success. What would the first moon flight have been if there had been no way to communicate or monitor the flight? An abortion ban would make it impossible to measure its own success. It would invalidate not only itself but all other strategies for reducing abortions (eg free obstetric care) as well. It would replace the current abortion rate with a permanent question mark, not a lower number.

    Posted by SoMG October 4, 08 06:30 PM
  1. God also said, "Thou shalt not lie." Are you in an uproar every time anyone does that?

    Posted by HelpThemSeetheLight October 4, 08 06:48 PM
  1. How does someone turn their backs on life-long core beliefs? It's one thing to believe that abortion will never be eradicated, but to endorse someone who not only promotes abortion and late-term abortion, but also rejected the 'Right to Live' bill? There has to be money exchanging hands.

    Posted by RIChris October 4, 08 07:48 PM
  1. People supporting Bush and the Republican approach of "abstinence" should realize that abortions have increased under President Bush. Under President Clinton's policy of pushing to reduce unwanted pregnancies, the abortion rate was lower.

    Anti-choice voters need to recognize that they have been conned by the Republican Party. While they have made progress toward reducing abortions, the Republicans have murdered thousands of people, stolen our treasury, and destroyed our economy. Anti-choice voters are partially responsible for this for not looking past a single issue.

    Posted by Kiku October 5, 08 12:00 AM
  1. This country is so divided by party...I wish we could get back to the way it was just after 9-11. We were united behind and for our country and nothing could change that. What do you suppose is the reason? We all fell apart listening to and hearing who should we" blame" and "blame" reared it's ugly head. Blame is the worst part of living with one another. Stop the blaming and start "thinking", yes, thinking for our selves. Blame divides the country, families, husbands and wives ..There is evil in this world that is trying it's best to get us to blame one another. Blame "evil". We don't really "fight against flesh and blood but against the principalities of the air.? That's where evil lives. Fight thr evil where ever you find it but put on "the full armor of God "when you do. He will fight the good fight. " As for me and my household we will follow the Lord." We think John Mc Cain and Sarah
    Palin will do the best job of following the Lords wishes.

    Posted by Gloria Sullivan October 5, 08 07:00 PM
  1. Roe v. Wade will not make abortions illegal, it will only turn the decison over to the states... even if it's overturned, abortions will still be legal in some states.

    I think the reason we're seeing pro-life people endorsing Obama has to do with the recently-released report by Catholics in Alliance. The findings reveal that social and economic supports for women and families dramatically reduce the number of abortions, and typically these support programs are most often introduced (and funded) under Democrats. If you'd like to take a look at the report, you'll find some information on it here: The findings reveal that social and economic supports for women and families dramatically reduce the number of abortions.

    Posted by Charlotte Cavatica October 6, 08 02:36 AM
  1. Here's a link directly to that Catholics in Alliance report I mentioned:

    http://www.catholicsinalliance.org/files/CACG_Final.pdf

    Posted by Charlotte Cavatica October 6, 08 02:38 AM
  1. Let me know when you give you next pro abortion sermon!

    Posted by Gevan K. Cole October 8, 08 11:23 PM
  1. All I can say is if you don't stand for what is right, you will fall for what is wrong!!
    To say you're caving in to abortionists because "we've Lost the Battle" is the equivilent of being a very sad Sadducee....! Either stand up and defend what the Bible teaches to be true, and what God has said is expected of us, or get into another line of work where your Moral values won't affect so many people.
    Popular opinion was never Jesus mandate!!!! Read the Word, and think! Obama is not on the same side as scripture on many issues...
    Why not be one who stands for GOD????.

    Posted by Sharon De Lannoy October 14, 08 06:12 PM
  1. Sir, you are not Roman Catholic...you are a perfect example of how
    education does not provide wisdom.
    Shame on you!
    Carmen M. Cartaya

    Posted by Carmen M. Cartaya October 18, 08 06:11 PM
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Michael Paulson covers religion for The Boston Globe. He shared in the Pulitzer Prize in 2003, won the Mike Berger, Templeton and Supple awards in 2008, and is a four-time winner of the Wilbur Award.
E-mail mpaulson@globe.com.

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