Vatican: Jimmy Carter, former US president, dies and Pope Francis sends message of condolences

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has sent a telegram on behalf of Pope Francis on the occasion of the death of the former president of the United States of America, Jimmy Carter.

“His Holiness Pope Francis has sadly received the news of the death of former President Jimmy Carter and offers his deepest condolences,” the message of condolence begins.

“Recalling the firm commitment of President Carter, motivated by a deep Christian faith, to the cause of reconciliation and peace among peoples, the defense of human rights and the well-being of the poor and needy, the Holy Father entrusts him to the infinite mercy of Almighty God and pray for the consolation of all those who mourn his loss,” he concludes.

For his part, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Bishops, has published a statement in which he highlighted that “his lifelong work in favor of peace among nations will continue to serve as an inspiration for a world in need of peacemakers” and assured his prayers “for the rest of his soul and the comfort of his family.”

James Earl Carter Jr. was born in 1924 in Georgia (USA) and died in the same place this Sunday, December 29. He was the thirty-ninth president of the United States (1977-1981) and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

She belonged to the Baptist Church, from which she distanced herself from the year 2000 after the Southern Baptist Convention opposed women being able to be pastors.

On abortion, Carter assured: “I have never believed that Jesus Christ would approve of abortions.” However, he expressed his support for this practice in cases of rape or incest or risk to the mother’s life.

According to OnTheIssues.orgDuring the third presidential debate against Gerald Ford in the 1976 campaign, Carter stated:

“I think abortion is wrong. I don’t think the Government should do anything to encourage abortion, but I am not in favor of a constitutional amendment on the issue. But absent a constitutional amendment, and within the confines of a Supreme Court ruling, I will do everything I can to minimize the need for abortions with better sex education, family planning, and better adoption procedures. Personally, I don’t believe the federal government should fund abortions, but I don’t support a constitutional amendment. “I respect people’s right to request a constitutional amendment on abortion, but I will not actively work to have it passed.”

As president of the United States, he had to face the implementation of the Roe vs. Wade ruling (1973), which defended that the United States Constitution protected a woman’s freedom to have an abortion without excessive government restrictions.

in his book Our values ​​in dangerpublished in 2006, Carter was “convinced that every abortion is an unplanned tragedy, caused by a combination of human error, and this has been one of the most difficult moral and political problems I have ever had to face. As president, I accepted my obligation to enforce the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade and, at the same time, I tried by every means possible to reduce the number of abortions to a minimum.”

Carter also supported equating the natural institution of marriage with same-sex unions.

As published The Huffington PostCarter’s relatives explained that the former president fulfilled his wish to vote for Kamala Harris in the last presidential election, with the Democratic candidate being a defender of abortion without limits.