The St. Francis Parish Pro-Life Committee is a group of loving persons that are concerned about the sacredness of life decisions people make at all stages of life.  Yet, we choose the abortion issue as our priority. 

Our Bishops' have said in the 1998 statement, Living the Gospel of Life, "Abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human life and dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental good and the condition for all others." (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Living the Gospel of Life #5)  In other words we must first guarantee a persons right to live.  Then we can also help that person get the necessary food, clothes, education, etc. 

Since we have compassion for the mother and her unborn baby,  this Pro-LIFE Committee is focussed preeminently on ending abortion. 

"...Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation."  – Mother Teresa

"The 1973 Supreme Court decision on Roe vs. Wade has been disastrous for our nation. Based on a complete disregard for human rights and enshrined for almost 30 years in false logic and rhetoric.  That decision, more than any other in our recent history, has been responsible for blinding our national conscience to the truth about our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."  – Bishop Wilton Gregory

For thirty years the abortion experiment has been dominated by a public debate that embraces an utterly false dichotomy: women versus children. Pro-lifers are seen as those who fight for unborn children, pro-choicers as those who fight for women. Women and children are of course natural allies, not enemies, and pro-lifers fight for women every day, but the terms of the debate have been set, and they have held.

The fight for children has made some gains. Thanks to the sustained efforts of the pro-life movement -- and some marvelous developments in science and technology -- fewer people now question the humanity of the unborn child. People generally accept the fact that abortion is bad for unborn children.

Still, abortion is accepted in our culture. Why? Because the other side of the abortion debate has offered up the false assumption that abortion is good for women, and the culture has swallowed it.

"Abortion is advanced in the name of freedom, but it undermines freedom by demeaning life itself. No society can be truly free if its most vulnerable members can lose their very lives at the hands of others. And far from giving greater freedom to women, abortion leaves many women feeling trapped in a deep well of sorrow and remorse."  – Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua

The website www.afterabortion.com -- very clearly not a pro-life site -- is a forum for women who are suffering from the effects of their abortions. On this site women share their pain, their remorse, their anger, and their profound loneliness. The Do's and Don'ts section of this site says: "Don't say you know how she feels, unless you have been in the same situation", but, "Do say you are sorry she had to be in a position to make that choice".

Women deserve better than this. This month marks the first major public education effort of the Women Deserve Better campaign, a campaign supported by a number of pro-woman and pro-life groups, including Priests for Life. It will try to refocus the nation on the reasons why women feel pressured into abortion and to promote women-centered solutions to these problems. 

"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Every woman deserves better than abortion"  – Campaign for Women Deserve Better, mission statement  (for more information on the campaign, visit: www.womendeservebetter.com)

"The changing of laws must be preceded and accompanied by the changing of mentalities and morals on a vast scale, in an extensive and visible way. In this area the Church will spare no effort nor can she accept negligence or guilty silence.  May every person of good will feel called to play an active part in this great cause. May he be sustained by the conviction that every step taken in defending the right to life and, in its concrete advancement, is a step towards peace and civilization."  – Pope John Paul II

I was immediately impressed with how his message applied to the difficult issue of what to do about abortion.  Fr. Jim urged us to stand up for what is right.   Rather than standing up, this is an issue where we prefer to stay sitting inconspicuously in the crowd.  But if God’s people don’t stand up for the truth, who will?  Many people that we meet everyday have no idea that abortion on demand is currently legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy for any reason whatsoever.  Many of our friends don’t realize that a “fetus” is not part of a woman’s body.  This young one has its own 46 chromosomes, its own unique DNA pattern, its own blood type.  This new individual is not a blob.  His/her heart has been beating since day 24.  He/she has had detectable brain waves by day 40.  He/she will respond to touch by 7 weeks.

Fr. Jim also urged us to lift up those in need.  Many woman in crisis pregnancy don’t know they have alternatives to Planned Parenthood (the # 1 abortion provider ) such as Pregnancy Help Center (975-4357) and the Pregnancy Counseling Center (434-3088)  These organizations are eager to do whatever it takes to help the mother and the baby.

I think it would be a fitting way to honor Fr. Jim as he leaves for his sabbatical by following his advice and Standing Up for the 4,400 babies who are killed each day through abortion. 

Fr. Jim is really only encouraging us to do what the Bible tells us to do:

"Rescue those unjustly sentenced to death, don’t stand back and let them die.   Don’t try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it.  For God knows your heart and He sees you.  He keeps watch over your soul and He knows you knew.  He will judge all people according to what they have done."  (  Prov. 24:11-12, NLT)