The Perils of Pseudo-Compassion

Sandro Magister has a very interesting piece here, on a false use of the concept of "compassion" around the world, and even within the Catholic Church, these days. His introductory piece is rather interesting for detailing some recent (2009) controversies at high levels of the Church, after which he publishes an excellent essay by Belgian Fr. Michel Schooyans. All this is a propos of a meeting to be held in Rome next week at the Pontifical Academy for Life:

The meeting promises to be a stormy one. Some of the members of the academy are openly questioning whether Fisichella is fit to be president. Foremost among them is Monsignor Michel Schooyans, Belgian, professor emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain, a respected specialist in anthropology, political philosophy, bioethics. He is a member of three pontifical academies: for social sciences, of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and – most relevant here – for life. Pope Joseph Ratzinger knows and admires him. In 1997, as cardinal prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, he wrote a preface to one of his books: "L'Évangile face au désordre mondial."

At the end of his well-written review of the use of "bogus compassion" by officials of both society and the Church today, Fr. Schooyans asks a very pointed question:

A delicate, yet inescapable, question remains. Given that, under the conditions described above, Holy Communion is to be refused to a lay person, does the Code of Canon Law impose suspension measures, on the twofold grounds of scandal and heresy, on clergy who publicly express pseudo-compassion for abortionists?

Ooh, la la!