January 19, 2003

Yet Another Year

Again this year a number of our parishioners will make the trip to Washington DC to mark the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion in this country. It’s been thirty years since that decision and millions of Americans have been killed before they ever had a chance to breathe the air of freedom that the rest of us have been blessed with.

The Bishops of our country note the anniversary by saying, “Each year on January 22nd – the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade – people pause to recognize the date in some way. Some speak out, some march, some reach out, some educate, some just reflect. Many pray.

“As we reflect on the thirtieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we express gratitude to those who have worked tirelessly for human life and against this ruling from the very beginning and continue to do so. They have lobbied, counseled and prayed. Many have suffered for their pro-life convictions. At the same time, what is perhaps most striking on this anniversary is how many young people have taken up the cause for life, and how impassioned is their support. This generation was born into a society already altered by Roe v. Wade and brings a special enthusiasm to the movement. This is the generation that knows it was born at a time and in a place where there was no legal assurance of continued survival at the earliest stages of life, in the womb.

“Many young people today comprehend the legacy of Roe. They look at thirty years of legal abortion and weep over the 40 million lives destroyed. They are aware that one in every four pregnancies ends in abortion, and they grieve for the world they will soon inherit. They mourn the fact that each year approximately 1.3 million abortions take place, and that thousands of them are done in the sixth month of pregnancy or later, when the child would likely survive if born.

“Many who came of age at the time of Roe were hopeful about what it was said to promise: an end to poverty and abuse. Who would not hope for these things? But legal abortion promised what it could not give. It promised women a freedom to participate more fully in society, but it took their children and broke their hearts. Countless women have suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually because of abortion; many have even lost their lives. Many men, too, mourn the loss of their children, while others carry the heavy burden of having persuaded their daughter, wife, or girlfriend to have an abortion.

“Among those who defend abortion, there are many who do so despite the pain abortion has brought into their lives, or even sometimes because of it. Many contemplating abortion believe they have no other choice. We listen to them, we understand their sense of isolation and despair. We must strive to know their hearts.
“We renew our offer of assistance to anyone considering abortion: If you are overwhelmed by the decisions you face, if you cannot afford medical care, if you are homeless or feel helpless, whatever your needs, we will help you. The Church and her ministries, inspired by the word and example of Jesus Christ, will help you with compassion and without condemnation. “