Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone says that politicians should have the right to follow their conscience, even if their views are not in accord with the stance of their political party.The Vatican secretary of state said this at a press conference during his visit last week to Nashville and the annual Knights of Columbus convention.
During the cardinal's time in the United States, he celebrated the opening Mass of the convention, gave its keynote address, received the Knights' "Gaudium et Spes" Award and met with journalists to give an overview of his trip.
Cardinal Bertone was asked about pro-abortion Catholic politicians, whether they should receive Communion, and if the Vatican plans to give guidelines to bishops for these cases.
"I don't think that it is necessary to repeat new norms because the norms are well explained in the doctrine of the Church," he said.
"I don't understand how a person in public office or one engaged in political activity can be obliged to renounce his Catholic identity because the party, be it in the U.S. or in other countries, imposes an ethical choice on the basis of the party's program. This, according to me, does not respect freedom of conscience. It even seems to me to be an oppression of conscience. Where is the freedom of conscience that is so proclaimed and defended in America?"
Cardinal Bertone also spoke of his phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
"The telephone conversation should really remain private," the cardinal said, "notwithstanding the fact that some of those conversations may be able to be tapped. The conversations dealt primarily with the state of Christians in the Middle East."
"I told her that her travels by plane, in her efforts for peace, are accompanied by the angels. If they weren't accompanied by the angels, then she would never be able to knit back together all of these relationships that have been so fragile and difficult."
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