' Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, speaking on Radio Vatican, said that the Belgian law denies children the right to life.'



The Cardinal's statement is worthy of Donald Trump, in its deceptiveness, assuming the Cardinal himself is still compos mentis, and so can be held to account for his words and any decisions he may make.



He should be asked exactly how a permissive law denies anyone anything. Explicitly, it extends their range of choice. That one may ask for euthanasia in no way imposes a duty to do so. I would strenuously protest any attempt to compel such a decision.



Besides, as a (long ex-) Catholic, let me point out to Sgreccia that the Church's own teaching on the principle of Double Effect ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_double_effect ) permits actions whose benefits outweigh their otherwise apparent moral questionability. Which apparently was not considered by Pope John Paul ii in denying the licit use of condoms to prevent AIDS.



No, the Church should confine its public statements to theological irrelevancies such as the Immaculate Conception (doctrine that Mary was conceived without the stain - macula -of original sin). It won't, of course, but should be given no greater attention than any of the thousands of other voices shouting to be heard above the media storm.



