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News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
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Joe and Ann Scheidler at the nativity scene at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
For the past week, my parents—League directors Joe and Ann Scheidler—have been making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They are pictured here at the creche at the Church of the Nativity, appropriately enough, since they put up two elaborate creches in their home every Christmas.
During their trip, they’re visiting all the principal sites of the Gospel story—the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, the site of the Ascension, the Mount of Olives, and so forth. But they say the most moving of all was their visit to the site of the Annunciation at the Basilica in Nazareth.
It was in that very spot that Mary said “yes” to God’s plan for her to become the Mother of the Redeemer—a yes that has been echoed down through the ages every time a woman embraces motherhood.
No wonder my parents would find that spot so moving. Their life’s work has been to encourage all mothers, like Mary, not to be afraid of motherhood—to have the faith and hope to say “yes” even in trying circumstances like those Mary faced: poverty, oppression and scandal.
Look for a full report on their Holy Land pilgrimage after they return Wednesday. And then it’s off to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. for the tireless “Godparents” of pro-life activism!
Whenever we go out on the streets for a “Face the Truth” Tour, we can always count on someone happening by our display to tell us that by showing graphic abortion pictures in the public square, we’re doing more harm than good. This is a charge we’ve heard often enough that we address it as one of the most Common Objections we hear.
In our response to this oft-raised argument, we plainly make the observation that throughout modern history, any number of successful social reform movements — from the movement to enact child labor laws to the civil rights movement — have used disturbing images that depict victims of maltreatment and violence, and that public support for the reforms these movements sought could not have been garnered without publicly showing graphic images of the victims.
The intent behind displaying graphic abortion pictures is the same, of course, for it puts a human face on the victims of what is, for far too many people, merely a theoretical concept or political issue. [Continue reading ...]
In the wake of yesterday’s protest of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s presentation of the “Pro-Choice Leadership Award” at a pro-abortion political action committee fundraiser, Illinois’ Catholic bishops have asked for a meeting with Quinn to discuss his support for abortion, gay marriage and other issues at odds with the teaching of the Catholic Church.
As we await the meeting, check out some great footage of the protest and pro-life rape victim who chose life, Mary Higgins and get links to all the media coverage after the jump:
Domenico di Bartolo's Madonna of Humility
During our Face the Truth Tour a few weeks ago in Cincinnati, one of the local pro-life activists who came out to join us for the day reminded me of something that can’t be repeated often enough.
He and I were talking about various ways to fight abortion, and he remarked that one of the most important things any of us can do is to strive for personal holiness in our everyday lives. I couldn’t agree with him more.
Eric Scheidler has talked in two recent posts about the need for pro-lifers to be diplomats for the cause, and to always keep in mind when we’re talking with people who are pro-choice that our purpose isn’t to “score points” but rather to persuade them to agree with us about the value of life in the womb.
Occasionally, a single conversation with someone who is pro-choice may result in an on-the-spot conversion to the pro-life position. But I suspect that instances like these are more the exception than the rule. [Continue reading ...]
Note: This is the third of Eric Scheidler’s four reports on his pro-life mission to Germany and Austria. The first covers the March for Life in Berlin September 17. The second details his time with the German Youth for Life September 17-18.
Eric at Hohensalzburg Fortress, with a view of the many steeples of Salzburg behind [Photo by Bryan Kemper]
After a long day of touring around the beautiful city of Salzburg September 20, I was ready for some spiritual respite. I took out my iPhone to view the snapshot I had taken of a poster on display at St. Rupert’s Cathedral in the center of the old city, listing all the church services in town.
This is one of my traveler’s tricks. If I see a poster or sign I might want to refer to later—a bus map, for example, or in this case a list of church services—I snap a picture of it.
I found several options for an evening Mass, and more or less at random chose St. Sebastian Church on the north side of the River Salzach, which would afford me the opportunity to walk along the river for a while and still get to church with enough time to pray before Mass.
Walking into this stunning baroque church, I was immediately struck by the rich smell of incense, quite common for my usual Byzantine Rite parish back home, but unusual in a Roman Rite church, especially on a weekday. [Continue reading ...]
I was dismayed to read the letter released by Bishop Patrick Zurek of Amarillo, Texas, advising his fellow bishops that he is calling Fr. Frank Pavone back to the diocese, effectively stopping his work as head of Priests for Life.
I have known Fr. Frank personally since he was appointed by Cardinal John O’Connor as director of Priests for Life 20 years ago. I have frequently appeared with Fr. Frank at pro-life conferences and have participated in myriad projects with him. I can honestly say that I have never met a more dedicated, passionate and hard-working pro-lifer, priest or layman.
I know for a fact that Fr. Pavone never charges a dime for a speaking engagement. He travels wherever he is invited and pours himself into his mission to motivate Catholics and faithful Christians to join the fight against abortion, to reach out in compassion to troubled and desperate pregnant mothers and to lead post-abortive women and men to healing in Jesus Christ. [Continue reading ...]
Christopher Haley over at On the Square, the First Things blog, published an excellent analysis this morning on how the Department of Health and Human Services’ new rules, mandating that insurers cover contraceptives without co-pays, violates Catholics’ free exercise of religion.
After criticizes the contraceptive mandate in general, along the same lines as my own response when the changes were first announced, Haley focuses on how the mandate’s carefully worded, extremely restrictive exemption for religious institutions is bogus:
We do not serve people because they are Catholic; we serve people because we are Catholic. And the same goes for members of other religious groups ….
[A]t its core, this mandate is an assault on the First Amendment’s “free exercise” clause. Catholic employers would no longer be free to serve or employ non-Catholics, except at the cost of violating deeply held and reasoned moral and religious convictions about human life and dignity. But then, not serving our neighbors also violates deeply held and reasoned moral and religious convictions about our mission to serve others. Thus, by providing only two equally unacceptable and offensive options to Catholic teaching, the mandate de facto prohibits the free exercise of the Catholic religion.
The whole piece deserves a reading.
Note: Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life was kind enough to send along this letter [PDF] providing support and encouragement for the League and its volunteers on the 2011 Face the Truth Tour. Joe Scheidler read the letter aloud to volunteers at the close of the Tour.
July 16, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It’s a privilege to send to you today my joyful and prayerful greetings as you conclude the Face the Truth Tour. I would have gladly joined you in person, but have to get to Philadelphia to prepare for our training conference this week for Rachel’s Vineyard.
Let me offer you, however, this word of encouragement. There is no activity in the pro-life movement more important and effective than to stand on the streets of America and expose the graphic reality of abortion. Many activities communicate to people the conclusion that abortion kills children. What you have done during this tour, however, conveys to people the facts that compel that conclusion.
And never be worried about the criticisms you receive from human beings. Only fear the criticism of God that is reserved for those too cowardly to proclaim and face the truth.
As I always say, America will not reject abortion until America sees abortion. I thank my long time friends and colleagues, the Scheidlers, for providing such outstanding leadership, and I thank all of you for doing what needs to be done. We will see the victory soon.
Sincerely,
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
Last week we posted our exciting new Face the Truth video, which addresses some of the common objections we hear when show graphic abortion pictures out on the street.
In this post I’d like to focus on another objection that I must admit I find it hard to get my head around. Namely, the charge that showing graphic abortion pictures in public is uncharitable—and even un-Christian—especially because of the supposedly damaging effects it has on children.
Personally, I find it understandable that the average secular person might get upset upon seeing a display of graphic abortion pictures.
But I’m gobsmacked when Christians try to claim that showing the victims of abortion in an effort to awaken people’s consciences is actually contrary to our faith.
As Christians, we know that Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be mercilessly scourged, crowned with thorns, and forced to stumble — battered, bloodied, and grotesquely ignominious — through the streets of Jerusalem before being nailed to the Cross. It’s surely safe to assume that there were children among the crowds that day — these were public streets, after all, and the city would have been teeming with families who had come there on pilgrimage for Passover. [Continue reading ...]
Here at the Pro-Life Action League we have received many inquiries over the years about the “Rosary of the Unborn™,” a rosary produced by Holy Love Ministries in Elyria, Ohio that claims to bear certain promises from the Blessed Virgin Mary through messages given to purported visionary Maureen Sweeney Kyle.
People have contacted us to exhort us to employ and promote the devotion, but others have had questions about the veracity of the claims surrounding it.
Relevant Radio’s Father Rocky Hoffman was recently asked about Holy Love Ministries on the air and further clarified the Catholic Church’s position on the matter on Facebook, so it seems like a good time to address the issue. [Continue reading ...]