Bishops OK 'child in womb' blessings

by Frank James

President-elect Obama famously said during his interview with preacher Rick Warren at Saddleback Church that determining the point at which an unborn "baby" gets rights was "above his pay grade."

Making that determination has obviously not been a problem for the Catholic Church. Indeed, underscoring their position that life begins at conception, U.S. Catholic bishops meeting in Baltimore voted almost unanimously to approve the "Order for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb."

Here's the press release:

BISHOPS APPROVE BLESSING FOR CHILD IN THE WOMB

BALTIMORE--The U.S. bishops approved the Order for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb for use in the dioceses of the United States with a 223-1 vote November 11, at their General Assembly in Baltimore. The bishops also approved a Spanish version of the blessing with a 224-0 vote.

The Blessing of a Child in the Womb was prepared by the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities after receiving requests from dioceses for such a blessing and not finding an existing blessing for a newly conceived child. In March, 2008 a blessing was prepared and submitted to the Committee on Divine Worship. The proposed blessing is distinct from the Blessing of Parents before Childbirth found in the Book of Blessings.

The Blessing of a Child in the Womb Within Mass and Outside Mass, in English and in Spanish, upon recognitio by the Congregation on Divine Worship and the Sacraments in Rome for use in the dioceses of the United States of America, will be included in future editions of the Book of Blessings (de Benedictionibus) when the text is revised.

The vote of 223 to 1 was a bit surprising. What made that one bishop vote against the order? Also, given the church's long-held view that human life begins at conception, it seems like such a blessing would've been approved decades ago.

This decision by the bishops is a reminder that even though so much of the nation's attention is almost singularly focused on the economy, there are those who have their eyes on what they consider to be more transcendent concerns, the so-called cultural issues like abortion and gay marriage.

The blessing certainly gives the church a new weapon in its war against abortion. Of course, the pro-choice side has its weapons too, most importantly, a new Democratic president likely to appoint Supreme Court justices who will uphold Roe v Wade.