The news item referred to was broadcast widely; here is a short comment by the head of The Audubon Society Pop. Program. An institution is apparently ignoring systemic problems within itself as well as within the biosphere. Perhaps the result will be perversely counterintuitive, as the flocks that are growing fastest are non-catholic. Somebody should wake up the Vatican!
Steve
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Catholics Largely Ignore the Pope on Family
Planning___________________________________________
TORONTO STAR, Nov. 14, 2002
Have more babies, Pope urges Italians
Pontiff makes historic visit to Italy's parliament
___________________________________________
The above headline, in yeserday's paper, refers to Pope John Pauls
"historic" speech to Italy's parliament which, among other things, talked of
Italy's "crisis of the birth rate" and urged Italians to have more babies.
Believe me when I say no one in Italy paid the slightest bit of attention.
In fact most Catholics living in "first world" nations simply ignore the
Pope when it comes to birth control. Principly Catholic countries routinely
post the lowest birth rates in the world.
A sampling of countries, their Total Fertility Rates (replacement level
fertility is 2.1), and the percent of their population that is Catholic
follows:
Czech Republic 1.1 TFR (41% Catholic)
Spain 1.2 TFR (94.2% Catholic)
Austria 1.3 TFR (73% Catholic)
Italy 1.3 TFR (97% Catholic)
Lithuania 1.3 TFR (74% Catholic)
Slovenia 1.3 TFR (82% Catholic)
Canada 1.4 TFR (46% Catholic)
Poland 1.4 TFR (95% Catholic
Switzerland 1.5 TFR (45% Catholic)
Belgium 1.6 TFR (79% Catholic
Cuba 1.6 TFR (54% Catholic)
France 1.9 TFR (80% Catholic)
Ireland 1.9 TFR (76% Catholic)
Source: catholic-hierarchy.org
While the Pope is not having much influence on family planning choices in a
large number of predominantly Catholic countries, papal admonitions against
birth control and abortion often invigorate anti-family planning proponents
here in the U.S. (many of which are not Catholic). The principle
legislative "victory" of these anti-family planning advocates is in their
ability to cut funding and reduce access to contraception in many
non-Catholic countries. In fact, predominantly non-Catholic countries have
the highest birth rates in the world. A sampling:
Afghanistan 6.0 (0% Catholic)
Eritria 6.0 (3 % Catholic)
Zambia 6.1 (25.2% Catholic)
Sierra Leone 6.3 (1.6% Catholic)
Benin 6.3 (23.2% Catholic)
Malawi 6.4 (19.7% Catholic)
Liberia 6.6 (5.5% Catholic)
Chad 6.6 (8.4% Catholic)
Western Sahara 6.8 (0% Catholic)
Burkina Faso 6.8 (11.38% Catholic)
Mali 7.0 (1.6% Catholic
Somalia 7.0 (0% Catholic)
Niger 7.5 (0.17 % Catholic)
Patrick Burns, Director
Population & Habitat Program
National Audubon Society
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
