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The following are some of the highlights from the daily email briefing about news and events, which I send out to some of my friends and contacts (if you’re interested in subscribing to the daily mailing, leave your email address in the comments box):
(Please note that these links will take you to websites that are not affiliated with the Archdiocese. We neither take responsibility for nor endorse the contents of the websites.)
On March 8, Catholics from around the state traveled to Albany for the annual “Catholics at the Capitol” day, sponsored by the State Bishops’ Conference. The purpose of the day is to offer Catholics an opportunity to stand together on the broad range of issues of concern to us — protecting life, strengthening our schools, caring for the poor and sick — and to speak to our state legislators.
One of the issue papers distributed by the Conference was entitled “Making Abortion Rare”. This document explained our Church’s opposition to the radical Reproductive Health Act, a bill that would lead to an increase in abortion, by placing it beyond any reasonable regulation. A second issue was our opposition to the Governor’s elimination of all funding for the Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation. That foundation supports local initiatives and organizations that offer alternatives to abortions, and have helped thousands of women have their babies.
These positions are a practical response to the challenge issued by Archbishop Dolan at his press conference in January about the appalling abortion rate in New York City: “I invite all to come together to make abortion rare, a goal even those who work to expand the abortion license tell us they share.”
Some of our pro-life supporters have expressed discomfort with saying that we wish to “make abortion rare”. They are worried that this might imply that we are conceding the legality of abortion, and that we have given up our ultimate goal of defending every human life.
This concern is understandable, because people rightly can’t be satisfied with anything short of full protection for the unborn. I understand this concern, but I believe it is unfounded.
Our ultimate goals in this struggle have never changed. Nobody has any doubt about the position of the Catholic Church on abortion. We are absolutely, unalterably, irrevocably opposed to legal abortion, and will never accept the legitimacy of laws that permit it. We hold steadfastly to building a culture of life in which every life is valued in our society and its laws.
But while we pursue those ultimate goals, we have to take into account the political and cultural situation in which we find ourselves. Then, relying on the virtue of prudence, we have to mitigate the harm that is being done by legalized abortion, and try to achieve realistically attainable results to advance the culture of life.
This approach was outlined in Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, The Gospel of Life:
The Church well knows that it is difficult to mount an effective legal defense of life in pluralistic democracies, because of the presence of strong cultural currents with differing outlooks. At the same time, certain that moral truth cannot fail to make its presence deeply felt in every conscience, the Church encourages political leaders, starting with those who are Christians, not to give in, but to make those choices which, taking into account what is realistically attainable, will lead to the re- establishment of a just order in the defense and promotion of the value of life. (90)
The challenge to “make abortion rare” is just such an initiative. It takes into account the political and cultural fact that a complete abrogation of abortion laws is not attainable in our current cultural and legal climate. It is directed not to people who are already committed to the cause of life. Instead, it is an appeal to those who consider themselves “pro-choice”, but are uncomfortable with abortion and may be open to work with us on practical measures to reduce it.
In other words, it is an effort to change hearts, to rebuild the foundation for a true culture of life. As hearts change, laws will follow.
Our vision and our goals will always remain the same. As the United States Bishops said in their statement, Living the Gospel of Life:
The Gospel of Life must be proclaimed, and human life defended, in all places and all times. The arena for moral responsibility includes not only the halls of government, but the voting booth as well. Laws that permit abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are profoundly unjust, and we should work peacefully and tirelessly to oppose and change them. Because they are unjust they cannot bind citizens in conscience, be supported, acquiesced in, or recognized as valid. Our nation cannot countenance the continued existence in our society of such fundamental violations of human rights. (33)
Earlier this week, Dr. Bernard Nathanson passed away and entered into eternal life. Archbishop Dolan will celebrate his funeral Mass on Monday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
In the earlier part of his life, Dr. Nathanson was a leader of the movement to legalize and normalize abortion in American life. He crafted public arguments — which he later admitted were rooted in falsehood — to justify the changing of laws and morals on abortion. And he personally performed thousands of abortions himself.
If that were all we could say about his life, it would be odd indeed to be celebrating a funeral Mass for him at our Cathedral. But that was not all.
Soon after he had accomplished his aims — the legalization of abortion in America — Dr. Nathanson began a remarkable personal and spiritual journey, which he recounted in his autobiography, The Hand of God.
Confronted by the images he saw on fetal sonograms, he became convinced of the humanity of the unborn child and rejected the practice and ideology of abortion. He became an outspoken pro-life advocate — a most famous and powerful convert to the cause of human life. He tirelessly denounced the deceptions at the heart of the abortion business, and deeply regretted his role in advancing it. He himself said, “I am one of those who helped usher in this barbaric age.” He was deeply oppressed by his complicity in the great evil of abortion, and steered close to despair from the burden of his sins. Despite this, he continued to resist turning to God for help.
Attending pro-life protests in the late 1980′s, Dr. Nathanson was confronted with something he did not expect. As he described in his autobiography, he was stunned by the sense of love exhibited by the pro-life protestors. They sang hymns and offered prayers for the unborn children, the mothers, and the clinic workers, their faces filled with joy. Their witness of selfless love touched Dr. Nathanson at his core, and he began a new stage of his journey.
He “began to entertain seriously the notion of God — a god who problematically had led me through the proverbial circles of hell, only to show me the way to redemption and mercy through His grace”. These thoughts about God, “held out a shimmering sliver of Hope to me, in the growing belief that Someone had died for my sins and my evil two millennia ago.”
This was the true turning point of his life — the beginning of his genuine conversion.
Eventually, he was baptized by Cardinal O’Connor in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996 on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, surrounded by pro-life co-workers and friends. All his sins were washed away in the water of life, and he was re-born anew in the Holy Spirit. Strengthened by that grace, he continued his ardent pro-life advocacy for the remainder of his life. He was a leader of the movement, and a mentor and friend to many. He will be deeply missed.
But, in a larger sense, Dr. Nathanson is an important witness to something that all of us must hold close to our hearts — the virtue of hope. It would have been easy for an outside observer to give up on him when he was still active in the abortion business, and to despair of any chance of his conversion. We in the pro-life movement frequently feel this way about others among us — like health professionals who perform or assist in abortions, and public figures who support it.
But we must never give up, because God never gives up on anyone — His grace is indefatigable. Dr. Bernard Nathanson is a shining example of our hope in the great and inexhaustible mercy of God.
In the famous story of the Prodigal Son, Our Lord told us of the loving, merciful father, who never fails to forgive those who return to him. When his wastrel son finally came to his senses, rejected his sins, and returned to ask for forgiveness, “his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Lk 15:20).
Let us all pray in hope that Dr. Bernard Nathanson, having now returned home, will be received with compassion and enfolded in the loving embrace and kiss of his merciful Father.
The following are some of the highlights from the daily email briefing about news and events, which I send out to some of my friends and contacts (if you’re interested in subscribing to the daily mailing, leave your email address in the comments box):
(Please note that these links will take you to websites that are not affiliated with the Archdiocese. We neither take responsibility for nor endorse the contents of the websites.)
The following are some of the highlights from the daily email briefing about news and events, which I send out to some of my friends and contacts (if you’re interested in subscribing to the daily mailing, leave your email address in the comments box):
(Please note that these links will take you to websites that are not affiliated with the Archdiocese. We neither take responsibility for nor endorse the contents of the websites.)
The following are some of the highlights from the daily email briefing about news and events, which I send out to some of my friends and contacts (if you’re interested in subscribing to the daily mailing, leave your email address in the comments box):
(Please note that these links will take you to websites that are not affiliated with the Archdiocese. We neither take responsibility for nor endorse the contents of the websites.)
When you think about it from the world’s perspective, the pro-life movement makes little sense.
The Supreme Court has ruled against us, repeatedly, and there’s no change in sight. Congress can’t do anything about it, even if they wanted to. When they do act on abortion, they spend millions of taxpayer dollars to pay for it. We currently have the most pro-abortion President in history, and even when we had a pro-life President the essential law went unchanged. Nominees for the Supreme Court give homage to this state of the law, referring to it as “settled law” and “binding precedent”.
In 1992, in the Casey decision, the Supreme Court called on us to stop arguing, stop marching, and just obey:
“Where, in the performance of its judicial duties, the Court decides a case in such a way as to resolve the sort of intensely divisive controversy reflected in Roe . . . , its decision has a dimension that the resolution of the normal case does not carry. It is the dimension present whenever the Court’s interpretation of the Constitution calls the contending sides of a national controversy to end their national division by accepting a common mandate rooted in the Constitution.”
The premiere elements of our popular culture are dead-set against us. All the major newspapers routinely extol the right to destroy unborn children, as to virtually all of the broadcast networks. Few leading commentators mention the issue on a regular basis.
The statistics continue to be appalling. Well over a million reported abortions each year. Untold numbers of abortions caused by “emergency contraception” or hormonal contraceptives.
So, why do we do this? Why don’t we just give up, as our culture would prefer?
The answer can be found, every year, at the March for Life.
In a sense, it can’t be called a March any more, now that the authorities in Washington have shortened the route — more of a “Stand and Then Stroll for Life”, the way it works out.
It really should be re-named as the “Celebration of Life”. That’s because the atmosphere at the March is such a rejoicing in the wonderful gift of life, and there’s such a positive, uplifting spirit in the crowd. For an event that is motivated by such an evil issue, it’s a remarkably joy-filled day.
This joy, of course, does not come from any sense of self-satisfaction. Rather, it comes from a deeper, more profound source. Whenever we do the will of God, whenever we freely choose to conform our will to His, we experience this joy. It’s like when I found that special someone and convinced her to marry me. Or when a priest, deacon or religious embraces their vocation. Or when we drop our selfish objections and set out on a cause that we know is pleasing to God and demands a serious self-sacrifice.
There is, ultimately, only one reason to be pro-life, to ride the cramped bus for hours, to stand and walk in the cold, to witness outside an abortion clinic, to write our legislators, to mentor a scared expectant mom, to have hard discussions over the kitchen table with our relatives.
God is pro-life, and He loves this cause. That’s why we do it.
The following are some of the highlights from the daily email briefing about news and events, which I send out to some of my friends and contacts (if you’re interested in subscribing to the daily mailing, leave your email address in the comments box):
(Please note that these links will take you to websites that are not affiliated with the Archdiocese. We neither take responsibility for nor endorse the contents of the websites.)
I was born in Yonkers, and I’ve lived there for most of my life. My hometown doesn’t get much attention in the larger world, and lives pretty much in the shadow of the big city that I can see from my upstairs window.
But in one important respect, Yonkers far outshines not only the big city, but pretty much every other city in New York. Its elected officials have the courage and moral fiber to publicly show their respect for human life.
Last Sunday, I had the privilege of being present at the Polish Center to witness Mayor Phil Amicone issue an official proclamation, declaring January 9 through 16 as the Fourth Annual “Respect Life Week” in Yonkers. As far as anyone can tell, my hometown is the only city in New York State to do such a thing.
The event at which the proclamation was issued was memorable. It was organized by my friend, the indefatigable Tony Felicissimo, who is the leader of “Advocates of Life”, a Yonkers group that holds prayerful witness outside of a local abortion clinic and supports the “Life Options Center”, a pregnancy support center hosted by the Kingdom Christian Cultural Center.
There were a number of distinguished interfaith speakers, including Archbishop Dolan, Fr. Thomas Berg, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino (yes, there are two pro-life public officials in Westchester!), Rabbi Rigoberto Emmanuel Vinas, and Rev. James Hassel of the Kingdom Christian Center. The children’s choir from St. Casimir’s School sang, as did Rev. Hassel’s own outstanding gospel choir. The special honoree for the day was Msgr. Philip Reilly, the great hero of the pro-life movement, the founder of the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. The day had a party-like atmosphere, and truly was a celebration of life.
Both Msgr. Reilly and Archbishop Dolan called the pro-life movement “this most noble cause”. How right they are — it’s the premier civil rights movement of our day. It unites people of all faiths, who are dedicated to defending the dignity of every human person.
It was a political risk for Mayor Amicone to issue this proclamation, and for County Executive Astorino to support it. But, buoyed by the courage of their convictions, they did what true public servants are supposed to do — stand for what is right, regardless of politics, and defend the common good and justice for all.
Bravo, to my hometown — Pro-Life Yonkers.
Last week, a very important press conference took place, in response to the recent release of statistics on abortion in New York City.
Anyone with a conscience should be shocked by the horrifying numbers in the report:
These statistics were analyzed by the Chiaroscuro Foundation, a private group that has committed to working to support pro-life initiatives, particularly pregnancy support efforts. They have set up a website, NYC 41 Percent, to publicize this effort.
The press conference was most significant because it called together a group of interfaith leaders — Catholics, Protestants, Jews, whites, blacks and Hispanics — who all pledged to work to offer pregnant women real choices.
For his part, Archbishop Dolan re-issued Cardinal O’Connor’s famous pledge to offer support to any pregnant woman in need. For his remarks at the press conference, see here.
Catholic Charities is already doing a great deal to fulfill that pledge, and the Sisters of Life do heroic work to help pregnant women and those who have already given birth. The various pregnancy support centers in the City, and many faith communities are working miracles. These efforts are certainly worthy of support.
But they’re not enough. More must be done.
At Mass I attended this morning, the celebrant read the Archbishop’s press conference statement in his homily, and called to mind a story from his earlier days as a construction worker. When things were slow, and the workers were idle, the foreman would tell them, “This isn’t a spectator sport”.
Just so. Preventing abortions is not a spectator sport. The decision to have an abortion, all too often, is made by a woman who feels afraid and isolated, with nobody to support or help her. That means that all of us, in our families, parishes, and communities, can prevent abortions by giving practical and emotional support to the women in our lives. No woman should ever go to an abortion clinic because she feels alone.
That’s a call to action for us all.
