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Rick Arlen's Sunday letter extolling the spirituality and simplicity of the new Pope is appropriate. However, to characterize the Church's teaching on divorce, same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception as intrinsically valid is mistaken. They are moral positions that have gained some ascendancy in the Church and which the Church has a right to espouse in its role as moral teacher, but absolute, I don't think so.
How can abortion be absolutely wrong when no one knows when human life actually begins? How can same-sex marriage be absolutely wrong when it excludes some of our brothers and sisters from a right accorded to the rest of God's people? How can divorce be absolutely wrong when those with wealth and power enough can get an exemption? How can contraception be absolutely wrong when having too many babies to adequately care for keeps people poor?
Charles Peterson
Fresno
