The Protection of Unborn Children
Jan. 22, 2025, is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. It is the anniversary of the tragic 1973 decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which legalized abortion within our entire nation. We are grateful for the decision of the Supreme Court in 2022 which overturned Roe v. Wade. Many years of prayer and persuasive efforts made this possible.
Unfortunately, the emphasis on abortion continues to be so present among us. It is now again a state issue and has received a great deal of political attention, as evidenced in the recent national election. In that election here in Florida, Amendment 4 to our constitution was defeated. This amendment would have removed almost every restriction on abortion rights up to viability and even beyond. The Bishops of Florida are deeply grateful for all those who put such prayer and effort into making the defeat of the amendment possible. In Florida this year, we are also grateful that the Heartbeat Protection Act, which restricts the intentional taking of the life of an unborn child after six weeks of gestation, to go into effect. We have made progress in regard to legal restrictions on abortion, but still have a long way to go to ensure that the right to life of every unborn child is respected and nurtured.
The right to life of an unborn child is neither a federal nor state issue, as it is a fundamental right given to us by God in accord with the very purpose for which our great nation was founded. Our country came into existence on the principle, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, that the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is granted to all persons by God Himself. There is no legal authority that can authorize abortion, as there is no legal authority which can authorize the taking of an innocent life for any reason. Abortion leads to the lack of respect for life at every age. Abortion is a life issue, pure and simple. It is not a health issue any more than the taking of someone’s life for the sake of another’s convenience would be acceptable. A state does not have the authority, any more than a nation, to legalize abortion.
We continue to do all that we can to protect the unborn child by especially protecting the mother of the unborn child during her pregnancy, and after her child is born. In our Diocese of Palm Beach, we fully support the extraordinary mission which our Catholic Charities services carry out in regard to the protection of unborn children and their mothers in so many ways. Our Respect Life ministry, our Birthline/Lifeline outreach, our pregnancy care centers and our Women’s Pregnancy Solutions are but some of the many outstanding outreaches we have in the protection of the right to life of the unborn. Respect for the life of an unborn child, and all those involved in that life, is a priority in the Diocese of Palm Beach. I am deeply grateful for all those who give themselves in this service.
The protection of unborn life is a priority in terms of all the issues that are before us today. This is so to protect innocent life, but also to protect the lives of every single human person made in the image and likeness of God. The Catholic Church has been accused of being single-minded in regard to this issue. However, recent debate and activity over the issue have demonstrated that those who favor abortion are also single-minded in this regard. The Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children offers us again the opportunity to commit ourselves to the protection of life at all stages from the moment of conception until natural death. We do this in the spirit of the Gospel, which is a spirit of love for those who disagree with us. While we are in a battle for the protection of life, we are not at war with anyone. As the Bishops of Florida have stated this year in their statement regarding the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, “We invite all people to join in building a civilization of love in which every human being is valued and loved.”
We are grateful for the progress that has been made in regard to legal protection for the unborn within our nation and within our state of Florida, recognizing there is still much that needs to be done. We especially join our hearts in prayer on Jan. 22 and ask the Lord to help us bring forth laws that protect every human life and banish every form of injustice. As Pope Francis stated in his homily this year on New Year’s Day, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, “May we learn to care for every child born of a woman, above all, by protecting, like Mary, the precious gift of life in the womb, the lives of children, the lives of those suffering, the poor, the elderly, the lonely and the dying.”
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
