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By Judie Brown
Where are all the Catholic priests at pro-life rescues and other protests opposing abortion? Perhaps they did not get the memo!
But there are heroic priests in our midst, and you need look no further than the heroic men of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. These gentle men came to mind when I saw the headline this weekend that tells us that “A Catholic Friar Is Facing Federal Charges for Blocking an Abortion Clinic.”
This particular priest, Father Christopher “Fidelis” Moscinski, has been in the headlines quite often recently because he confronts the evil of
abortion head on by standing in front of abortion chambers, praying the
rosary, and being a peaceful presence in contrast to the killing that
occurs inside the walls of such buildings. He is a modern-day hero to
many of us. Moscinski once said during
an interview, “I attribute my involvement in the pro-life movement, and
rescue in particular, to the grace of God. At a certain point, I truly
realized the outrageous injustice of legalized abortion, and I knew that
I had a serious and life-long moral obligation to fight against it.”
Not
only is Father Moscinski to be admired and emulated, but he has had
heroic men in his own order to inspire him. I think particularly of one
very valiant friar, Father Benedict Groeschel.
While
Father Benedict died eight years ago, his legacy carries on not only
because of the holiness and ardor of his dedication to truth but because
he left us with many words of wisdom. I have to imagine that he would
be particularly proud of Father Fidelis because Groeschel once said,
“Respect for human life should provide a motive for the natural virtue
of courage. The awesome respect for the immortal soul of every human
being, a truth known only by revelation, can provide a positive motive.”
And on the media, Father Groeschel was no wallflower, saying, “They want a story. They will exploit almost anything to undo moral restraint.”
Is
it any wonder that Father Fidelis is so inspiring and driven by his
dedication to defend life given the wisdom of Father Groeschel? Father
Fidelis has seen the inside of jail cells on many occasions because of his public defense of the innocent. During one of his prison stays he wrote:
The
value we place on something is measured by what we are willing to
sacrifice in order to save and protect it. Our Lord Jesus Christ values
and loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice everything on the
Cross for our salvation.
The
fundamental challenge of the pro-life movement has always been to
convince our society of the intrinsic value and dignity of our unborn
brothers and sisters. But words alone cannot convince. Only loving,
sacrificial, Christ-like actions will convince those who are trapped in
the mindset of the Culture of Death.
In
these few words, Father Fidelis encapsulates the reasons why we fight
for the babies, the elderly, and all those at risk because of the
culture of death. It is one thing to say that we are pro-life but quite
another to put our very selves on the line for those at risk of death.
Father
Fidelis would probably be the first one to tell you that he is serving
God as he goes about the daily challenge of defending the innocent. But
his actions inspire us to go and do all we can for our at-risk brothers
and sisters, never forgetting the words God spoke in Jeremiah 22:3: “Yahweh
says this: Act uprightly and justly; rescue from the hands of the
oppressor anyone who has been wronged, do not exploit or ill-treat the
stranger, the orphan, the widow; shed no innocent blood in this place.”
These words speak truth to each of us, not to mention the truth about Father Fidelis.
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