A suitable message for Gordon Brown?

There is an interesting juxtaposition of items on yesterday's Zenit News. First we hear of Gordon Brown's visit to the Holy Father to launch a fund worth £750m which will enable pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines for pneumococcal disease. All jolly good, of course, and it won't do Gordon Brown any harm in positioning himself for the leadership role.

The next item on Zenit reports on the Holy Father's address on receiving the letters of credence of the new ambassador of Colombia to the Holy See, Juan Gómez Martínez. (Vatican Information Service report) The Holy Father expressed concern
"[...] over laws involving such delicate questions as the transmission and defense of life, illness, the identity of the family and respect for marriage. On these themes, ... the Catholic Church will ceaselessly continue to proclaim the inalienable greatness of human dignity. It is also necessary to appeal to the sense of responsibility of lay people in legislative bodies ... to ensure that laws always reflect principles and values in keeping with natural law, and that they promote the genuine common good."
Now that would have been quite appropriate as a message to Gordon Brown as well.

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