Time magazine selectively edited Pope Francis’ significant words on the issue of abortion recently.
Last week ABC News organized a “virtual town hall” for Americans across the country to ask Pope Francis questions about faith, life and their struggles. This forum was meant to give a little preview on what to expect when Pope Francis arrives in the United States in about two weeks.
During the town hall, Pope Francis spoke to a young single mother of two daughters (emphasis mine):
I know it’s not easy to be a single mother. I know that people can sometimes look askance at you, but I’ll tell you one thing, you’re a brave woman because you’re capable of bringing these two daughters into the world. You could have killed them inside your womb, and you respected life. You respected the life you were carrying inside you, and God is going to reward you for that, and he does reward for you for that. Don’t be ashamed. Hold your head high. “I didn’t kill my daughters. I brought them into the world.” I congratulate you.
Yet Time left out some of Pope Francis’ rather hard hitting comments on abortion. Take a look:
I know that people can sometimes look askance at you. You’re a brave woman because you’re capable of bringing these two daughters into the world. You respected the life you were carrying inside you and God is going to reward you for that and he does reward for you for that. Don’t be ashamed. I congratulate you.
Notice the words “killing”, which were used twice in Pope Francis’ statement, are missing. Time Magazine attributed their quote to Pope Francis – as if it were a complete statement. After being caught in the act, Time issued a correction:
The original version of this article incompletely quoted Pope Francis’ response to a young woman about the difficulties of being a single mother.
Oops.
