Pope Picks More Pro-Aborts for Life Academy

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VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - Two new members appointed by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Academy for Life have been outed as pro-abortion zealots.

Francis' latest pro-abort appointees attack the pro-life reversal of Roe v. Wade and blame Africa's poverty and high rate of female mortality on the lack of access to abortion and contraception. 

The revelations about the pro-abortion activists follow global outrage from faithful Catholics after Francis appointed influential economist Mariana Mazzucato — a pro-abortion crusader, climate alarmist and self-confessed atheist — to the prestigious papal academy on Oct. 15, Church Militant reported.   

On Thursday, the president of the academy, Abp. Vincenzo Paglia, disingenuously defended Mazzucato's appointment, insisting that "her tweets may have been 'pro-choice' but they were not 'pro-abortion.'" 

Pro-Death Jesuit

A day later, the National Catholic Register reported that bioethicist Dr. Roberto Dell'Oro, who was promoted to "ordinary member" of the academy this month, supports abortion before "fetal pain" and is a fierce critic of the pro-life decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.  

During an October panel discussion at Loyola Marymount University titled "Confronting the Dobbs Decision: A Conversation About the Legality of Abortion," Dell'Oro urged support for legal abortion before the fetus can suffer pain.   

Dell'Oro blasted the United States Supreme Court for failing to uphold democracy, which, according to Dell'Oro, "maximizes rather than restricts a space of personal freedom for all citizens, including women."

"I won't dignify the anti-life drivel of this so-called bioethicist by arguing against his statement. He is simply wrong and should either offer an immediate retraction or be summarily removed from his position," Bp. Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, tweeted Sunday. 

African Abortionist

On Sunday, Catholic Arena uncovered tweets supporting abortion and contraception from another new papal appointee — Professor Sheila Dinotshe Tlou, cochair of the Nursing Now global campaign and the Global HIV Prevention Coalition.

"Tlou has a history of advocating for contraception, abortion and policies wherein the fertility of poor people is linked to their poverty," the Ireland-based Catholic website reported. 

In 2017, she retweeted an article in the left-wing Economist on "How to Protect Women Against both HIV and Pregnancy." Tlou affirmed the article, writing, "the quest for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all."

Later, she tweeted a graphic from the World Health Organization, lamenting the deaths from 25 million unsafe abortions each year. Tlou wrote, "Yes, with access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, we can end unsafe abortions that kill millions of women every day."

A month later, Tlou affirmed an appeal to the WHO to "consider strengthening your commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights." 

The newly-appointed member of the pontifical academy tweeted, "Expressing the same sentiments. Without sexual and reproductive health and rights, we will find it hard to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals."

In 2020, Tlou, a former member of parliament and health minister of Botswana from 2004–2008, retweeted an article published by TIME that described the concerns of parents who put having babies "on hold" because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"This happens among those who have resources to plan their families," Tlou opined. "Among the poorer families, there will be thousands of babies after the lockdowns, most of them unplanned, and indicating the need for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all during such disasters."

In other tweets, Tlou argues that the only way to end illegal abortions is to ensure that every woman has access to abortion." She added, "And we remain poor ... and our women continue dying due to lack of access to contraception ... and illegal abortions."

The terminology of "reproductive health and rights" is a euphemism used by the pro-abortion lobby for the killing of unborn children. 

As a member of the World Health Organization's External Review Group, Tlou and her colleagues published guidelines that state, "To the full extent of the law, safe abortion services should be readily available and affordable to all women."

Tlou, whose Twitter bio describes her as chancellor of the Botswana Open University and a human rights activist, says she studied at a Catholic school and obtained a Master of Science in Nursing at the Catholic University of America.

AvanceMedia lists Tlou among the 100 most influential African women (2019), noting that "she has conducted research and taught courses" on gender issues relating to HIV/AIDS and "sexual and reproductive health and rights."

Tlou has also associated with rabid pro-abortionist Hillary Clinton and has appeared several times at online conferences with apostate Catholic and vaccine peddler Dr. Anthony Fauci. 

Pope Affirms Paglia

In 2016, Tlou praised the "inspiring message from HH Pope Francis, read by Archbishop Peter Wells at the Catholic Pre-conference of AIDS2016."

On Saturday, Pope Francis welcomed Paglia to a private audience at Santa Marta. "A very friendly meeting this morning," PAL posted on its Twitter account.

Francis' hagiographer Austen Ivereigh tweeted, "Great to see Pope Francis backing @PagliaAbp following bizarre attacks from conservative fringe for his inclusion of brilliant economist @MazzucatoM in @PontAcadLife circle of collaborators." 

Oxford-trained theologian and convert to Catholicism Dr. Thomas Carr responded, "Please explain how inviting a virulently anti-Christian, pro-abort atheist to join a Catholic academy can in any way 'deepen dialogue' on anything related to 'life.'"

"It is legitimate criticism. Fine to disagree with it. Don't try to ridicule it. It is a legitimate request that members of a pro-life academy don't call killing babies a human right to be defended," Fr. Peter Calabrese from Philadelphia replied.

Pro-lifers have underscored the deceptive rhetoric underlying the concept of "safe abortion," pointing to significant physical and mental health risks for the mother and the barbaric dismembering or poisoning of the unborn child. 

Catholic author Philip Lawler slammed Paglia for using the term "pro-choice" to justify the appointment of Mazzucato. Lawler wrote, "For more than 40 years, the abortion lobby has promoted the use of the term 'pro-choice' to describe someone who supports legal abortion."

"That rhetorical gambit has been eagerly embraced by the Democratic Party, the mainstream media," Lawler explained. "But to see it accepted by the Vatican — and, worse, by the very Vatican office created by Pope St. John Paul II to protect the truth about the value of human life — is appalling."

The Pontifical Academy for Life did not respond to Church Militant's request for comment.

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