THE TABLET JANUARY 21, 2006

THE MARCH FOR LIFE

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

The March for Life in Washington on Monday (Jan. 23) marks the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy. This annual commemoration gives people of good will the opportunity to witness to the sanctity of human life from the first moment of fertilization to natural death. At the same time, it is an opportunity for Christians to be ministers of healing and reconciliation for those who have collaborated in abortion. Abortion has multiple victims apart from the child. The child's mother and father, the abortion providers, and all of us in the broader community are dehumanized with every abortion.

We ought not fall into the trap of contemporary culture that pits the rights of a child against a mother. Along with her child, a mother has a right to life, a right that in many cases is compromised following an abortion. How often do we who are priests hear the heart-wrenching confession of a woman whose conscience is tortured because of a past sin and all too frequently is unable to accept that she has been absolved or forgiven?

It is with sensitivity to the suffering of women exploited by abortion that the Church must articulate the precepts of the laws of nature regarding the dignity of the human person. Moreover, the teaching of moral issues in a pluralistic society is one of the most difficult challenges the Church, as teacher of faith and morals, must face. It is good to reiterate, however, that our understanding of the beginning of life really does not depend on our theological assessment alone. Rather, our conviction is grounded in the dignity of the human person, that same principle that is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Roe v. Wade permits abortion even when a fetus is viable and able to live outside the womb. This especially is the case in a procedure known as partial-birth abortion. In this instance, labor is induced, the child is partially born and the viable fetus is killed in the birth canal. This, in fact, is infanticide. The horror of this present situation is difficult to bring to the attention of a society that concentrates on individual freedoms and neglects collective responsibilities. Our only hope is that by our witness and prayer we can convert the hearts and minds of those who cannot see the truth, which we witness to, and that at some point their attitudes will be changed. As we know, public opinion is shifting and perhaps public understanding of this moral crisis in our society will eventually change.

The recent hearings for justices of the Supreme Court brought to our attention what might be called "a litmus test," or a threshold for consideration as a Supreme Court Justice. Some lawmakers and a number in the media would exclude the nomination to the federal bench solely on one's personal opposition to Roe v. Wade. Unfortunately, this is bad public policy and even a worse principle for judicial selection. Judges are responsible for interpreting the law, not for giving their own opinions. Certainly, this is true in the abstract before they are presented with the case to be tried against the law. Their present opinion need not reflect their opinion of past cases. Judges, especially Supreme Court Justices, must ultimately judge cases presented to them in light of the Constitution. To ascertain what the personal preferences of the person might be has no place in the judicial nomination and confirmation process.

Recently, I urged members of our Diocese to make known their wishes regarding the so-called "litmus test" to our federal senators from the State of New York. Many times elected officials hide behind the shield of the nomination of persons who are balanced and middle of the road; however, the test of this balance has become the opinion one has on Roe v. Wade. We elect our officials, and to a great extent they follow the wishes of the electorate, but if they do not know our opinions, they cannot follow them. I urge you to make your wishes known to our senators in Washington.

Each month, either Bishop Daily or I conduct vigils for life. One Saturday morning a month, we celebrate a Mass at a church near one of the abortion clinics, which are numerous in Brooklyn and Queens, and march in peaceful prayer to the site. Our prayers are continued for an hour or so before we return to church, where those who cannot march have been adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. We conclude with Benediction.

Unfortunately, these vigils for life are not well attended. Msgr. Philip Reilly, a priest dedicated to the pro-life movement, organizes these vigils and publicizes them in the newsletter issued by the "Helpers of God's Precious Infants." In my weekly calendar, the vigil Masses are stated, but in the future we will also publicize Bishop Daily's vigil Masses so that others may attend. Although you may not be able to go to Washington this year, as I am not able, these other events are important to give personal witness to the value of life.

For the last several years, the Church in the United States has called for a day of penance for the violation of the dignity of the human person on the day of the March for Life. Although all may not be able to attend, the day of penance, prayer and solidarity with those who do march is also in order.

The violations of the dignity of the human person are many. Certainly, abortion, the killing of innocent life, is the most obvious, yet there are others that need to be addressed. Sexual abuse of minors by those who represent the Church is high among the violations of human dignity for which we must atone. The imposition of the death penalty, especially when it is wrongfully inflicted, is another instance of the violation of human dignity. The list is long. We can atone for these offenses by participating in the day of penance.

Again, we put out into the deep in trying to confront the issues that violate the dignity of the human person, the center of our moral teaching. We must do all in our power to preserve it because the gift of life is the greatest gift God has given us and we must strive to be worthy of it.