This could surprise many of you, but I hate when pro-life groups ask me to speak. It almost never ends well. No one argues with the phrase that we support life from conception to natural death, until you bring up examples or issues that in my opinion dilute the message. Or when the truth is that we are really concerned primarily with Abortion.
I was interrupted at a local event by a political candidate claiming to be a true conservative. I asked what that meant and the response was, I’m Pro-Life. I said great, what are you plans to deal with death row? The response was oh, I meant innocent life. I followed up, well OK what about the elderly? I cited a recent poor report of nursing homes and rampant elder abuse in our state? This politician was saved from her hemming and hawing by the local mayor, who didn’t realize that this person had interrupted me and the discussion ended.
It bothers me that politicians use the phrase pro-life when all they are is anti abortion. That in itself is huge, but I fear that we are going to pay for this in the future when technology and life issues meet. We are going to need our credibility in tact for not so far in the future debates about genetic programing and similar issues.
By definition and because we have been created with free will, we are all really pro-choice anyway. We are not robots aimlessly following a predetermined path or ideal, but humans that make choices to determine our path. That said I believe that the only moral choice is for life. How can we read the Gospel and have any other answer?
People discuss viability as a way to determine when life begins. That drives me crazy. I have an 18 year old nephew who isn’t viable outside his mother’s house. How can people judge human life by that criteria?
What the Church says:
We are not sure exactly when life begins, but until someone can prove beyond any doubt when life starts, we are going to have to error on the side of life and that means the point of conception. The Church defends life from conception to natural death and that is Pro-Life!
Fr. Pat what are you feelings on the Pope’s new stance on forgiveness being giving by Priests to mothers who have had abortions? What a wonderful blessing for those young girls that made the wrong decision in a moment of fear and confusion. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.
There are two parts to what you ask. All priests can forgive all sins. What the Pope did was to give all priests the authority to lift the automatic excommunication incurred. I think in the US the bishops already had done that and in the places I’ve been we have had the ability since I was ordained. That said , it is a graced moment.