The Tablet January 22, 2005

Join the March for Life

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

On Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in its Roe v. Wade decision that a pre-born human being was not a "person" protected by the Constitution. Since then, over 43 million abortions have been performed in the United States. On the anniversary of this horrendous decision by the Supreme Court, it is worth concentrating our attention on the evil of abortion as it has become part and parcel of our society.

The more we become comfortable with evil, the more we tend to ignore that evil. This certainly has been the case with the issue of abortion. There are many emotional arguments for an abortion-on-demand policy. It cannot be an emotion, however, that decides our moral activity, and moral choices. It must be reason and the teaching of the Church. In this case, from human reason we can understand that life begins at conception and must be protected at all costs.

Following the leadership and example of Bishop Thomas Daily, I now alternate with our retired Diocesan Bishop on a monthly basis in celebrating a Mass and leading a prayer vigil at abortion clinics around the Diocese of Brooklyn. It is amazing that in one year we do not repeat a Mass at one of our churches where an abortion clinic is within a short walking distance. We gather each month, usually on the last Saturday, for Mass at 7:30 a.m. and then proceed to the abortion clinic as we recite the Rosary. Normally, we will complete twenty decades of the Rosary, along with singing hymns and taking time for silent prayer.

The witness we give, perhaps, is meager. It is certainly heartfelt, however, by usually 100 or so persons who gather each month. Furthermore, as we know from our faith, we can never underestimate the power of prayer. It would be wonderful if more people would witness to their faith by joining Bishop Daily and me in these monthly vigils.

A national March for Life will take place in Washington, D.C. on Monday, Jan. 24, a few days after the Inauguration of President George W. Bush. This anniversary is always attended by hundreds of thousands of people, some of whom come from the Diocese of Brooklyn. There are several buses with parishioners from Brooklyn and Queens and our Family Life/Respect Life Office coordinates this effort. You may contact Anita Silk at (718) 229-8001, ext. 344, or via e-mail at asilk@iccdob.org for further information.

This March for Life begins on the west steps of the Capitol, close to the Washington Monument, and proceeds to the steps of the Supreme Court. By and large, the March is a silent witness to life. Many people pray and some sing, but this is a peaceful protest in favor of life. The March continues to attract growing numbers of pro-life individuals who wish to speak out in defense of the voiceless, the unborn. Last year's estimated crowd was 250,000 people.

Many young women and men from across the country gather before the March at the MCI Center for a youth Mass and rally which have been organized in the past several years. It is truly an inspiring event. They join their voices in prayer and song before the March and then walk to the Ellipse, a park on the south side of the White House, where thousands are waiting to hear from people who are prominent in the pro-life arena. This year we hope we will also hear from President Bush, whose past election certainly had something to do with his pro-life stand.

While it is not possible for everyone to attend the March for Life, it is possible for us to pray, especially on Monday, Jan. 24, in solidarity with the marchers, that our society will regain its conscience and understand the grave evil that abortion presents today.

Putting out into the deep arena of public policy, where moral values must influence our choices, is always a difficult pilgrimage. But march we must to regain the conscience of our Nation and to protect the life of the unborn.