Power

Cardinal Sorry He Attacked Rape Victim

Trying to score political points against the governor, one Illinois Cardinal regrets that he inadvertantly attacked a rape victim in the process.

Cardinal Francis George has admitted his mistake. (original image source)

Many anti-choice advocates won’t skip an opportunity to try and score points against a pro-choice opponent.  So when a Catholic Cardinal wanted to criticize the governor of Illinois for his support of a pro-choice organization, he didn’t bother to “get all the facts” about the situation itself.

Like the fact that Governor Quin was honoring an advocate for victims of rape – one who is herself a former survivor.

Via the Chicago Tribune:

Cardinal Francis George said Sunday that he did not have all the facts when the Catholic Conference of Illinois issued a statement decrying Gov. Pat Quinn for his involvement with an abortion-rights organization that, it turned out, plans to give an award to an advocate for rape victims.

“I deeply regret that,” George said Sunday afternoon, en route to Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, where he was scheduled to present awards to parishioners for their dedication to ministries. “A rape victim demands all the respect and sympathy that anybody can give.”

He said that the Catholic Conference of Illinois, which advises the church on policy, did not inform the bishops about Goodman or her personal story of sexual assault.

“I first heard of Ms. Goodman only after we had crafted the statement (and) published it. Then, all of a sudden she comes forward. All of a sudden, she was there, and that wasn’t part of the story as we did it,” George said.

The Cardinal said that having known the award recipient was a rape survivor might have changed his statement.  Yet if they had their way, a growing number in the anti-choice movement still wouldn’t allow her to have an abortion.  Respect and sympathy, yes, but not bodily autonomy.