Oklahoma City, OK - Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, called upon pro-life activists today to make this Lenten season a time of increased pro-life prayer and activism nationwide. "If we are going to repent of sin, we have to start with the sin of abortion," Fr. Pavone will declare today at a major speech in Oklahoma. "Repentance begins in our Churches and then continues as we come outside of the Church and into the streets in massive, peaceful protest against abortion."
Fr. Pavone and the entire Priests for Life organization are major supporters of the "40 Days for Life" campaign and will visit cities across the nation where this effort is being carried out. "I look forward to working with activists where 40 Days for Life is being implemented, as well as with other communities where similar efforts are underway." The women and men of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign will mobilize across the nation as they proclaim, in public gatherings, media interviews, legislative assemblies and Church congregations, that their abortion hurt them and that Christ healed them.
Fr. Pavone, who travels to four states a week, also observed, "Pro-life activists are ready to be mobilized as never before. We experience this with the clergy, with youth groups, and also with veterans of the movement who have been intervening at abortion mills for decades. The entire Priests for Life team will foster this momentum in thousands of Churches and communities in the coming weeks through its ongoing training seminars for clergy and laity, and its television and radio programs which reach tens of millions of Americans."
Priests for Life has provided the priests, pastors, and deacons of the country with a simple action plan for their congregations:
1. Have each member and family of the Church pray the daily Lenten Prayer for Life found at www.PrayerCampaign.org.
2. Preach on abortion throughout the Lenten season using the guidelines given at www.priestsforlife.org/liturgy.
3. On one of the Sundays in Lent, provide in the bulletin one of the full page inserts offered free of charge at www.priestsforlife.org/bulletin.
4. Pray and foster presence at the abortion mill matched up with each particular parish at www.priestsforlife.org/mills.
5. The Priests for Life team is ready to offer particular guidance, advice, and encouragement to any particular pastor or priest who contacts us.
Super-Duper Tuesday
Many states had their primaries and caucuses yesterday for the Presidential race of 2008.
It is refreshing to hear so many "I don't knows" from the political pundits and pollsters, because what that ultimately means is that the people are deciding the elections, not the media or the political establishment. That is as it should be.
As the election season progresses, the choices on each ballot will narrow. As that happens, pro-life voters should rally around those candidates in each race who, despite the shortcomings they may have, will best be able to win. We are not only responsible for the consequences of voting; we are also responsible for the consequences of not voting.
Along with the other pro-life activities we do during Lent, we should be registering voters, including voter registration drives in Churches (see www.PriestsforLife.org/vote) and educating the community regarding the principles outlined at www.PoliticalResponsibility.org.
Blessings and prayers,
Fr. Frank Pavone, M.E.V.
National Director, Priests for Life
