Our trip to Naples was a howling success. We addressed the “Action for Life” annual dinner on the topic of the spiritual underpinnings of the pro-life movement.
“The Most Important Work on Earth”
In my talk, I tried to make it clear to the three-hundred attendees that our cause is indeed “the most important work on earth,” as the late Pope John Paul II called it, and that working to save the unborn children is our vocation. I praised the work of the many activists in the assembly, but urged them to take even more direct action and to be constantly recruiting more activists into the movement since the greatest power we have in the pro-life movement is the dedicated work of the people—far more than the support of politicians, presidents and judges.
South Dakota Tries Again
It was while we were in Florida that Ann and I learned of the new pro-life bill proposed in South Dakota. The original bill, with no exceptions but to prevent the death of the mother, having failed a November referendum, a new bill with exceptions for rape, incest and a convoluted health of the mother exception, is being introduced.
We liked the original bill, and we still believe that with a new strategy the original bill without exceptions could still pass. It only needs a change in seven percent of the vote, a not impossible task if the strategy were changed properly.
However, many believe that exceptions are necessary for the bill to win a majority of the South Dakota voters. The Georgia legislature, meanwhile, has just introduced a new bill very similar to the original South Dakota bill, with virtually no exceptions.
We will all be watching this bill closely. It could still be that a trip through committee will alter the South Dakota bill and produce one closer to the original. The original bill received two-thirds and three-fourths approval in both houses and the legislators may not be happy with the new bill with added exceptions.
We are looking into this matter, and will address the South Dakota situation in future Action News reports.
Priest Exhorts Pelosi
In San Francisco, Father John Malloy of Sts. Peter and Paul, sent an open letter to Nancy Pelosi, the new Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He printed it in the parish bulletin, and here is the gist of it: Nancy, you are fooling yourself and many good Catholics. You are not in sync with the Catholic Church and until you change your non-Catholic positions, you should stop calling yourself Catholic. Your record shows that you support embryonic stem cell research, Planned Parenthood, contraception, family planning funding, allowing minors to have abortions without parental consent and that you are against making it a crime to harm a fetus.
Father Malloy then quotes her belief that she is a conservative Catholic but can’t impose her views on others, or tell them what to do. Father answers that politicians are pledged to protect life, and not to do so is comparable to the Nazi’s allowing the extermination of six million Jews. He tells her that so long as she supports abortion, she should not receive Holy Communion when she attends Mass. Good for Father John Malloy. We need a whole lot more priests like him.
Champions of Faith
On Sunday, February 11, Champions for Faith will honor Juan Pierre and Jack McKeon for their steadfast faith and example to youth, at a ceremony at Our Lady of Lourdes. For information on attending the event, please contact Tom O’Connor at 847-998-7900.
On Sunday next, in case you haven’t heard, the Chicago Bears face the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl in Miami. My entire family lives in Indianapolis, but all I have to say is “Go Bears!”
