RHODE ISLAND
National Catholic Reporter
Michael Sean Winters | Sep. 13, 2013 Distinctly Catholic
In July, during World Youth Day, my colleague John Allen asked Archbishop Charles Chaput about Catholics’ reactions to Pope Francis, and part of the archbishop’s reply was: “This is already true of the right wing of the church. They generally have not been really happy about his election, from what I’ve been able to read and to understand.”
Now we know who Chaput was talking to. In his diocesan paper, Providence, R.I., Bishop Thomas Tobin offered his reflections on Pope Francis’ first six months. In the course of that interview, he said:
The other thing I want to say though, is that I’m a little bit disappointed in Pope Francis that he hasn’t, at least that I’m aware of, said much about unborn children, about abortion, and many people have noticed that. I think it would be very helpful if Pope Francis would address more directly the evil of abortion and to encourage those who are involved in the pro-life movement. It’s one thing for him to reach out and embrace and kiss little children and infants as he has on many occasions. It strikes me that it would also be wonderful if in a spiritual way he would reach out and embrace and kiss unborn children.
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