These past weeks since the marking of forty-six years from the tragic Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court have brought state abortion legislation within our nation that is completely abhorrent. A legal system that permits an abortion up to the moment of birth and removes any protection for a child born alive after an abortion is accurately described as savage. We rightfully raise the question as to where have we come when such legislation is not only enacted but then publicly celebrated. These actions underscore why abortion is the fundamental issue in regard to right to life matters and why Roe v. Wade has put us on the slope upon which we have descended. There is another horror present when Catholic legislators and politicians promote and support such legislation and thereby publicly reject an essential element of their Catholic faith and identity.
The words Pope Francis spoke to Italy’s Pro-Life Movement just last week are most appropriate: “I take this opportunity to appeal to all politicians, regardless of their faith convictions, to treat the defense of the lives of those who are about to be born and enter into society as the cornerstone of the common good.” The Pope emphasized that “those who have been conceived are children of the whole of society. Their killing in huge numbers, with the endorsement of states, is a serious problem that undermines the foundations of the construction of justice, compromising the proper solution of any other human and social issue.”
I am personally edified by and grateful to the many in our Diocese who prayerfully and ardently support the sanctity of life on behalf of the unborn. Their prayers and efforts make a great difference. At this time, let us all continue to join in prayer and in the influencing of our political leaders and candidates for public office to prioritize for our nation an end to the evil of abortion.
