From the Bishop
Pro-life advocates are indeed warriors
T
he expression “culture warrior” is used in contemporary conversation, even in some Catholic circles, to describe people who fight for those causes that run counter to prevailing cultural values and preferences, chief among those causes, the protection of human life in all its stages, from conception to natural death.
“Our defense of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate.” It is rarely spoken or used in a positive way, however. I believe that it can, and even should be. Those who are “prolife” are, indeed, engaged in a significant battle to convince their opponents and critics that, as Pope St. John Paul II once affirmed, “When some lives, including the unborn, are subjected to the personal choices of others, no other value or right will long be guaranteed (Pope St. John Paul, encyclical Evangelium Vitae, 1995).” We know that respecting life is a human imperative that cannot and must not be limited to a single month or a single day. It is an “every day and always cause” that is not unique to any one religious belief or denomination. Pope Francis has stated that “abortion is not a religious problem in the sense that just because I am a Catholic, I must not seek an abortion. It is a human problem. It is a problem of eliminating a human life. Period (Pope Francis, “Interview with Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki” May 28, 2019).” For Catholics, however, respecting life, especially the unborn, is intrinsic to our identity as people of faith. It admits no denial, no exception, no compromise.
A Message from
BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.
Every life is cherished, chosen, and sent. “Abortion is never the answer. … Human life is sacred and inviolable (Pope Francis, “Address to Vatican Conference ‘Yes to Life!’” May 25, 2019).” “Our defense of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of the human person, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her age or stage of development (Pope Francis, Address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, June 25, 2018).” As the 48th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court approaches on January 22, 2021, each Catholic — indeed each human being — has the opportunity to focus special attention, effort and fervent prayer on the conviction that every human life is precious and worthy of protection, from conception to natural death. “Every intentional abortion is gravely wrong (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2271).” In the United States, the notion of “rights” is particularly strong in our national conversation. Any honest discussion, however, must begin with the asser-
tion that the right to life is the first among human rights – “preeminent” as the U.S. Bishops recently declared – one that even the Founding Fathers affirmed. “Protecting human life is one of the noblest tasks of the state. If a state evades this responsibility, it undermines the foundations of the rule of law (YouCat, no. 383).” St. Teresa of Calcutta expressed it well: “Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want ... it is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish ... if abortion isn’t wrong, then nothing is wrong.” This coming year, here in New Jersey, legislators are contemplating the promulgation of what is being called the “Reproductive Freedom Act.” Our state already has some of the most permissive abortion laws Continued on 6
MONTH OF PRO-LIFE ACTION With opposition to abortion remaining a Catholic Christian’s “pre-eminent priority,” Bishop O’Connell has called for the faithful to take part in numerous Respect Life opportunities in January. He has called on all of the faithful to pray a Rosary for Life; will lead a “Novena to St. Joseph to End Abortion”; will celebrate a pre-recorded pro-life Mass, and calls for a Day of Prayer and Fasting. See page 23
Parishioners from St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, take part in the 2020 March for Life. Fighting against the “culture of death” while fighting for a “culture of life” is a battle worth fighting. Jeff Bruno photo
January 2021 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 5
