Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Marshmallow Men by Judie Brown
The state of Massachusetts just enacted a tragic law that provides for the decriminalization of abortion after 24 weeks for
any reason. The law also approves abortion for females who are 16 years
or older. This means that teenagers can now access abortion without parental notice or consent. It is, in other words, another step toward the legal acceptance of abortion-on-demand in a state with a near majority of citizens who claim to be Catholic.
And
therein lies the rub. The Massachusetts Catholic Conference of Bishops
appears to have dropped the proverbial ball in a huge way. They are
marshmallow men. They spoke words but never rallied their people to action.
The
Massachusetts bishops said they “call on our elected officials to
carefully consider the consequences that these bills would bring to the
lives of infants, parents, families and the citizens of the
Commonwealth. We urge all people of good will, regardless of what faith
they practice, to vigorously oppose these extreme measures.”
But what followed was a disaster with a predictable outcome: more killing.
None
of the Catholics who voted for this life ending measure will suffer a
word of rebuke from any priest or prelate in Massachusetts. There will
be no articles or editorials critical of them in the Catholic press. No
one will be denied Holy Communion. No one will be expelled from the
Knights of Columbus.
If any serve on the board of a Catholic institution, they will continue
to do so. Like Representative Kevin Honan, they will still be eligible
to receive awards from Catholic religious orders. All will be treated by
the hierarchy, clergy and religious as respected members of the
Catholic community.
Silence implies consent. Given the silence of the Church on Catholic
participation in expanding the slaughter of the unborn, no rational
person can reasonably be expected to take seriously Catholic opposition
to abortion in Massachusetts.
The ineptitude of these bishops is sad. That’s why it’s important to recall these words of St. Boniface:
“The Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s
different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship, but to keep her on
her course.”
The Church is the body of Christ, and that means that each of us has a responsibility not only to hold our Catholic leaders and their bureaucratic machines to account but to be engaged in our community. We are Catholics, and that means standing up for truth, in defense of the weak and in opposition to the forces of evil in our midst.
We
are Catholics and that means standing up for truth, in defense of the
weak and in opposition to the forces of evil in our midst.
What
happened in Massachusetts is a tragedy, but it is also a lesson. Rather
than complaining about the failure of Church leaders, we should pray
for them and encourage the wonderful priests and bishops in our midst.
Never forget these profound words of St. Thomas More:
“[If a leader allows weariness to so grip] the mind that its strength
is sapped and reason gives up the reins, if a [leader] is so overcome by
heavy-hearted sleep that he neglects to do what the duty of his office
requires . . . —like the cowardly ship’s captain who is so disheartened
by the furious din of the storm that he deserts the helm, hides away
cowering in some cranny, and abandons the ship to the waves—if a
[leader] does this, I would certainly not hesitate to juxtapose and
compare his sadness with the sadness that leads as [Paul] says, to
hell.”
Without the help of grace, as the Catechism teaches,
any of us could surrender to such cowardice. I only hope these bishops
and their bureaucrats realize the stakes, because right now the devil is
having a field day. And the babies are dying.
Now is the time for soldiers for Christ, not marshmallows.
