Of all the issues facing the country today, the most divisive and evident, of course, is abortion. For example, a few weeks ago, at a gathering of Florida Democrats, the president, who proudly claims to be a “practicing” and “devout” Catholic, made the Sign of the Cross during the pro-abortion speech of a fellow Democrat. (Read the article here.) Believe me, he supported everything his colleague said. Several Catholic organizations vehemently objected to this sacrilegious act, but to my knowledge I’ve heard no public comment from our bishops. If any said anything, they certainly didn’t say it very loudly. Often enough, bishops post their comments on diocesan websites, which, sadly, very few Catholics ever view. Why not call a press conference, or issue a statement to the local press, telling one and all what the Church teaches on abortion and other moral issues? Or send a teaching letter to pastors, instructing them to have it read at every Mass? Politicians provide excellent opportunities for teaching moments by our bishops, priests, and deacons.
Even more despicable, though, the president has made abortion the key issue of his presidential campaign. For him, what it means to be a practicing and devout Catholic seems to have nothing to do with either faith or obedience:
“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” [Mt 7,21].
Let’s face it, abortion is the moral issue of our time. Throughout the world several hundred million children are dead because of abortion. Each was slaughtered, and often painfully, as they were cut into pieces by those supposedly dedicated to healing. I can conceive of no modern crime more evil than abortion, the always willful destruction of the most innocent of human lives. The fact that so many people just accept it, as they would accept an appendectomy, tells us a lot about the moral degradation of our so-called civilized world.
And yet we hear very little from our shepherds. What are the bishops afraid of? Is it a revenue issue? Can’t tick off the pro-abortion “Catholics” who would likely close their wallets and checkbooks. Or do they fear losing their tax-exempt status by wading into what the IRS considers political waters? But the IRS is wrong, deadly wrong. Abortion isn’t political; it’s moral and religious, two areas about which the Church must speak its mind. And thanks to the Holy Spirit, that mind, at least magisterially, always reflects the mind of God.
Given the Church’s magisterial rejection of abortion, one would think the bishops might issue a public condemnation or two. Perhaps they believe that going public about the slaughter of millions of unborn children will jeopardize our moving forward on what some wrongfully consider more important issues, like climate change and immigration. After all, just this week Pope Francis warned that climate change has become a “planetary crisis,” and that billions of us earthlings face “an extremely high risk of climate-related devastation.” It would seem, then, based on the time the pope has expended writing and talking about climate change, it’s far more important to him than any other issue, including abortion.
Interestingly, when I read this, I emailed several old friends, all PhD meteorologists or climatologists, and asked them to confirm what they had told me earlier. All three again stated that the evidence for human-induced climate change is so minimal it can be ignored. One suggested that Pope Francis, who likely knows very little about climate change, is listening to advisors and “experts” who are reaping the financial benefits of choosing the politically correct side of the issue. “Follow the money,” he added, “and you can predict what the ‘experts’ will say.”
Sadly, too, the Biden administration has been active prosecuting (and persecuting) pro-life activists. Biden’s justice department brought conspiracy charges against a group of pro-life activists for a 2020 protest at a Washington, D.C. abortion clinic that specializes in late-term abortions. This Tuesday and Wednesday seven of these activists were sentenced to two years or more in federal prison. Just read about these “horrible criminals” that our devout Catholic president wants imprisoned. Here are some relevant links:
Diane and I were fortunate to meet Joan Andrews-Bell years ago when I chaired our Cape Cod parish's pro-life ministry. She has devoted her life to the cause and spent over 6 years imprisoned for acts of love. Now she will serve more time. Pray for all these courageous people. Joan considers her prison sentence as “a time of prayer and reparation” for the “sin of abortion in America.”
I've always believed that political approaches to life take us in the wrong direction. We must, instead, change hearts and minds, always speaking the truth and doing what is needed to instill once again in the people of this country a fervent love for God and His gift of life. It must always begin with prayer and will conclude when God acts to teach us His will.
Perhaps the bishops should also take a faithful and theological, rather than a political, approach and turn to the Nicene Creed in which the Holy Spirit is described as “Lord and Giver of Life.” If we support abortion, are we not then taking to ourselves the powers of the Holy Spirit, and assuming God-like authority over life and death? To usurp God’s power and authority is intrinsically evil, a form of pride almost beyond belief. Wouldn’t it set a wonderful example for the faithful if our bishops, as we approach the solemnity of Pentecost, turned publicly to the Holy Spirit in prayer? What a perfect time to ask the Spirit to bring about the conversion and ultimately the forgiveness for all those who have destroyed the many innocent lives He has given the world.
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