"We pray for an end to senseless violence and dawn of peace and reconciliation among all members of the human family."
- Pope Francis: August 25, 2014
The
slaughter of Christians and religious minorities in Syria and Iraq by a
group known as the "Islamic State" is horrific news. Images of
crucifixions, beheadings, the burials of living women and children, and
other gruesome executions of the innocent seem surreal. Hearing about
these atrocities is awakening many to this emerging, though not new,
evil. Pope Francis has condemned the violence on more than one occasion,
calling the faithful to pray for an end to the violence.
Who
would think that censoring these violent images would enable us to
better understand the men who chose to commit these evil acts? Should we
see perpetrators in a more caring context in order to "humanize" them,
and set aside any judgments of what they actually do?
The
risk of such false "humanization" is in its denial of the humanity of
their victims. Taxpayer-funded PBS stations recently aired After Tiller,
a documentary created to "humanize" four of the doctors in the United
States who kill viable babies in the womb. After Tiller, its producers
tell us, was intended to get beyond the politics of the "complicated"
issue of abortion, past the heated language of the debate. It humanizes
the doctors as persons who are just trying to "help" women, even as they
risk being killed by pro-life Christians. [ Click for the full commentary.]
Pray
that those with political power will seek real wisdom in stopping the
violence of the Islamic State. Pray that the violence of abortion will
also come to light and that hearts and minds will be changed. But let
our prayers also move us to action in defending life in our own
communities, politically, and in every other way possible.
Sincerely yours in Christ, 
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
by HLI Staff Reports
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| 1000 Crosses March for Life |
Flanked
by 120 law enforcement officers, 300 pro-life demonstrators marched the
streets of Salzburg, Austria in peaceful solidarity. Several protesters
were detained by police as the marchers carried white crosses, a symbol
of the 1,000 human beings massacred every day through legalized
abortion in Austria and Germany. Banners
reading "1000 Ungeborene Jeden Tag" ("1,000 Unborn Every
Day")"commemorates the tragedy of unborn human beings who are denied
life every day," said Johannes Bucher, director of HLI-Europe. In
partnership with other pro-life organizations including Europrolife and
Lifecenters, Bucher plans to organize additional marches to defend life
for the voiceless. [more]
by Father Peter West with Chris Morales
Arriving in the small, coastal town of Crescent City, California on July 24, our entourage was welcomed by Father Adam Kotas, pastor of St. Joseph Church.
He and other pro-life faithful hosted a well-attended neighborhood
procession and Eucharistic Adoration with the Pilgrim Icon of Our Lady
of Czestochowa prior to Mass that evening. [more]
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| The Pilgrim Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa |
Follow Father West's pilgrimage with the Black Madonna.
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