Contraception debate clouds Obama's Vatican visit

Google – AFP, Tangi Quemener (AFP), 27 March 2014

Pope Francis (R) and US President Barack Obama shake hands during

a private audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican (AFP, Saul Loeb)

Vatican City — US President Barack Obama spoke of his admiration for Pope Francis and invited him to the United States at their first talks on Thursday but got a reprimand for contraception clauses in his healthcare reform act.

Obama said he had been "extremely moved" by the Catholic leader's message of compassion for the needy and said their conversation had focussed on the need to address "growing inequality" and to show "empathy".

"His Holiness has the capacity to open people's eyes," Obama said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi after his Vatican visit.

Pope Francis (R) and US President Barack

 Obama exchange gifts during a private

 audience on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican

(Pool/AFP, Gabriel Bouys)

The president also spoke of the "opportunity" for immigration reform in the US after Francis stressed the plight of families that are being divided by deportations and are forced to "live in the shadows".

The Vatican said in a terse statement that the two sides had discussed "the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection" -- a reference to Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA).

It said these issues were "of particular relevance for the Church" in the United States, following a Supreme Court challenge against the law by Christian employers which is expected to lead to a ruling in June.

The issue of "Obamacare" and its clause forcing private employers to provide health coverage for contraception for their employees has incensed US Catholic leaders who say that it infringes on religious freedoms.

"I pledged to continue to dialogue with the US Conference of Bishops," Obama said, referring to a conversation with the Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin after his meeting with Pope Francis.

Obama said there was a need to "strike the right balance" between providing healthcare for women and ensuring "that religious freedom is still observed".

"I explained to (Parolin) that most religious organisations are entirely exempt," said Obama, who has also faced criticism from Catholic leaders for his support for gay marriage and abortion rights.

US President Barack Obama (L) is

welcomed by Vatican Secretary of State

Pietro Parolin before a private audience

with Pope Francis on March 27, 2014

at the Vatican (Pool/AFP, Gabriel Bouys)

Controversy over "Obamacare" and the president's drop in popularity could help Republicans in this year's mid-term congressional elections, which would weaken the US leader for his remaining two years in power.

'Great admirer'

Obama told Francis he was a "great admirer" at the start of their talks at the Vatican, which political observers said could have been a bid to boost the US president's support at home among Catholic voters.

"I invited and urged him to come and visit the United States," Obama said after Catholic groups spoke of a possible papal visit for the Church's World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia in September 2015.

The closed-door talks between the first African-American US president and the first pope from Latin America lasted around 50 minutes -- slightly longer than papal meetings with other world leaders.

The two exchanged gifts afterwards, with the pope offering Obama a copy of his "apostolic exhortation" from last year in which he excoriated global capitalism with an invective against the "cult of money".

US President Barack Obama (C) is

 welcomed by officials as he arrives for

 a private audience with Pope Francis

on March 27, 2014 at the Vatican 

(Pool/AFP, Vincenzo Pinto)

"I actually will probably read this in the Oval Office when I'm deeply frustrated. I'm sure it will give me strength and calm me down," a smiling Obama said.

The meeting comes as a welcome rest-stop for Obama during a six-day European tour dominated by the crisis over Crimea, and the US leader will doubtless be hoping some of the pope's stardust will rub off on him.

A recent survey by Saint-Leo University found Francis was popular with 63 percent of Americans, while a poll last month by CBS News and the New York Times put Obama's approval rating at just 41 percent.

During his visit, Obama met President Giorgio Napolitano and Renzi -- at 39, one of the European Union's youngest leaders and a web-savvy fan of Obama's.

He also got a private guided tour of the Colosseum.

In an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera daily ahead of the meeting, Obama said Francis "has been an inspiration to people around the world, including me".

But he added: "It doesn't mean we agree on every issue".

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"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  3 - Longer Life is Going to Happen, But…

Here is one that is a review. We keep bringing it up because Humans don't believe it. If you're going to start living longer, there are those who are frightened that there will be overpopulation. You've seen the way it is so far, and the geometric progression of mathematics is absolute and you cannot change it. So if you look at the population of the earth and how much it has shifted in the last two decades, it's frightening to you. What would change that progression?

The answer is simple, but requires a change in thinking. The answer is a civilization on the planet who understands a new survival scenario. Instead of a basic population who has been told to have a lot of children to enhance the race [old survival], they begin to understand the logic of a new scenario. The Akashic wisdom of the ages will start to creep in with a basic survival scenario shift. Not every single woman will look at herself and say, "The clock is ticking," but instead can say, "I have been a mother 14 times in a row. I'm going to sit this one out." It's a woman who understands that there is no loss or guilt in this, and actually feels that the new survival attribute is to keep the family small or not at all! Also, as we have said before, even those who are currently ignorant of population control will figure out what is causing babies to be born [Kryon joke].

Part of the new Africa will be education and healing, and eventually a zero population growth, just like some of the first-world nations currently have. Those who are currently tied to a spiritual doctrine will actually have that doctrine changed (watch for it) regarding Human birth. Then they will be able to make free choice that is appropriate even within the establishment of organized religion. You see, things are going to change where common sense will say, "Perhaps it would help the planet if I didn't have children or perhaps just one child." Then the obvious, "Perhaps I can exist economically better and be wiser with just one. It will help the one!" Watch for these changes. For those of you who are steeped in the tradition of the doctrines and would say that sounds outrageously impossible, I give you the new coming pope [Kryon smile]. For those of you who feel that uncontrolled procreation is inevitable, I encourage you to see statistics you haven't seen or didn't care to look at yet about what first-world countries have already accomplished on their own, without any mandates. It's already happening. That was number three.….”