THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 40, NO. 23 | JANUARY 25, 2019
Thousands unite to support life By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
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ASHINGTON — It was a pilgrimage of firsts and of unity. That’s how archdiocesan participants in this year’s national March for Life describe their trip to the nation’s capital. This marked the first time Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, the new chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, was the main celebrant of the opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Jan. 18. Before some 10,000 from across the nation, the archbishop took the pulpit for his homily and said — to much laughter — that he had often wondered what the view was like from up here. Then, looking out over the crowd, he said it is “the most beautiful mosaic tonight we see in these pews.” “Tonight,” he continued, “we gather to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the tragic twin Supreme Court decisions, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, that legalized abortion essentially for any reason through all nine months of pregnancy. As a result, since 1973, there are now 61 million innocent American children killed in the wombs of their mothers.” He then went on to detail the many deceptions that had gone into the decisions that have led us to today. Some, he said, are still going on. Critics of pro-life advocates criticize their opponents “for only
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, the new chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, was the main celebrant of the opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on Jan. 18
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“AS WE PRAY TONIGHT AND AS WE MARCH TOMORROW, LET US PRAY THAT WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE WITNESSES FOR LIFE, WITNESSES FOR LOVE, WITNESSES FOR MERCY.” caring about the unborn.” The reality, he said, is that millions of people volunteer their time, talent and treasure in a variety of ways at thousands of pregnancy resource centers to support the unborn child
and parents materially, financially, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. “These centers of love,” he said, “are committed to accompanying the parents long after the birth of their child” and empower mothers and fathers to thrive for a lifetime. “The pro-life ethic challenges us to care about the sacredness of every human being throughout life’s spectrum,” he said. “We’re called always and everywhere to promote the dignity of the human person. Protecting the lives of unborn children is the preeminent human rights issue of our time — not only because of the sheer magnitude of the numbers, but because abortion attacks the sanctuary of life: the family.” At the root of Christ’s message, the archbishop said, was mercy. >> See “NEW” on page 5
SPECIAL REPORT: Archdiocese releases list of substantiated claims of clergy sexual abuse with a minor. Pages 7-10