Vatican Paper Steps Back on Praise for Obama

The official Vatican newspaper emphatically denied that its friendly coverage of President Barack Obama reflects any tolerance of his support for legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research. “In reporting on some recent statements and initiatives of the president of the United States, L’Osservatore Romano certainly did not intend to express appreciation for his positions on ethical questions,” said an unsigned article in the paper’s June 5 edition. “Obviously the Holy See and L’Osservatore Romano have been, are, and will be standing side by side with the bishops of the United States in their commitment to the inviolability of human life in whatever stage of its existence.”