Dear Parishioners,
Could you ever imagine that the death of over 60 million babies has occurred since abortion was legalized in our country? Certainly, they are not all because of rape, incest or a threat to the life of the mother. The tragic anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade (January 22, 1973) is once again upon us. It is important for us to continue to pray, fast and make sacrifices for the end of abortion (whether legal or illegal) in our nation and throughout the world.
Roe v. Wade was a tragic mistake that legalized abortion in our country in almost every conceivable circumstance. But remember what may be legal is not necessarily moral. The late Chief Justice Rhenquist and the late Justice White dissented against the majority decision of the court. Later Justice Thomas, joined by the late Justice Scalia, wrote a dissent to the decision, saying of Roe v. Wade: "that decision was grievously wrong."
The deliberate and intentional taking of an innocent human life is morally wrong and can never be justified—not even in the case of rape or incest. Even in the most horrible of circumstances (like rape or incest) in which the conception of a child can take place, killing the child does not and cannot remove or change the circumstances in which the child was conceived. In fact, it only makes the situation worse because violence is now inflicted on an innocent unborn child.
I thank those who publicly protest Roe v. Wade at the annual March for Life in Washington, DC. Always remember that while protesting and an outward display of faith certainly have value, more things are wrought by the power of prayer than we can imagine. So, keep praying continually!
May God have mercy on those who have mistakenly thought that abortion was a “choice” that they somehow needed to make. Abortion has many victims including the mother herself. There needs to be much healing and forgiveness through God’s mercy for those who make a “choice” that can never be undone.
Whenever you hear someone recite the mantra about a “woman’s right to choose,” remind them that we can never choose that which is morally evil—the taking of an innocent human life in the womb.
St. Teresa of Calcutta's words at the National Prayer Breakfast, (Washington, DC on February 3, 1994)—given in front of then President Bill and Hillary Clinton—included the following:
But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.
I hope that you take the time to reflect on the words of this saint.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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