Fools should be thankful for every small favor

such as this mini-trestis on The Beginning of Human Life: "Small Murders" -The Pope

Granted, I wasn't particularly hopeful at first:

Well, we all knew it was just a matter of time before "God's Rottweiler" commented on our When Human Life Begins debate. Although I am tasked to enforcing the Conservative position, I have avoided direct God-talk until now. Raised in a very strict Catholic household, I was brought up to believe that the Pope's word was to be taken as the literal word of God and to be obeyed accordingly.

All these "I was raised catholic lines..." give me hives. What's up with that? Does any one go around saying "I was raised Italian" or "I was raised Suburban NY" or anything like that? It's as if people feel they need to give their bona fides...before they trash them. That was my first fear. However:

Taking the word "murder" literally, you can certainly make 95% of a case against both abortion and stem cell research. My personal understanding of the word is "the killing of a human being by a human being".

OK. He's on the right side of sanity here, at least. He goes off the rail a bit towards the end, unfortunately:

While I am no longer quite so big on the Pope, I think one of the points he's making is this: play it safe. In X years, if and when science can prove "human life" can start on the Nth day then harvest away. But until that point and you know FOR SURE that we're not prematurely ending the lives of thousands (millions?) then wouldn't you rather play it safe?

No, that's not what the Holy Father says. He says, human life is not to be taken. Period. Mike may not know his embryology very well. From what I've gathered, embryologists have reached consensus on when human life begins: approximately at the time of conception. If these scientists can be so wise, how much more does God understand? Through the Holy Spirit and the Tradition handed on to us From Christ through the Apostles and the Church, we today have access to his understanding. The magisterium secures the deposit of Faith that is the source of this understanding. Thus far, in light of the scientific knowledge known to us and the error-free interpretation of revelation, the Magisterium has confirmed that life begins at conception. Thus, Pope Benedict XVI exorts us to respect life, not because embryos might be life, but because they are.

Still, it's good to know that a Catholic that is "no longer quite so big on the Pope" still sympathizes with--and obeys--the Pope on an issue so important to our civilization. In such circumstances are many a Fool born. Hope on, then! I take my good news any way I can!