Will Rep. Paul Ryan, a Roman Catholic, get a pass from the Roman Catholic Church for opposing its teaching on abortion?
In response to the inelegant remarks of Republican Senate hopeful Rep. Todd Akin from Missouri, the Romney/Ryan campaign says it does not oppose abortion in the case of rape, which is not the position of the Roman Catholic Church.
The New York Times reports, here:
The Republican presidential ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan was quick to distance itself from Mr. Akin’s remarks.
“Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement,” the campaign said. “A Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.”
Rep. Ryan's position permitting abortion in instances of rape constitutes formal cooperation in a crime and self-excommunication according to the Roman Catholic catechism, here:
Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,"77 "by the very commission of the offense,"78 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.79 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
Rep. Akin's position against abortion in all circumstances is identical to Catholicism's whereas Rep. Ryan's position explicitly contradicts his own religion.
That's the Republican Party: where conservatives like Rep. Akin are not welcome, but open hypocrites, and fudgepackers from the Log Cabin crowd, most certainly are.
