AMDG
Each one of us has a very important
part in promoting life that is being snuffed out in over a million pregnant
mothers in the United States alone each year and also more and more in the
terminally ill who society believes have outlived their usefulness. To be effective in promoting life in our
families, among our friends, in our parishes, in our communities, and in loving
dialogues with pro-abortion people as well as young girls contemplating
abortion, we must know what we are talking about. We must be informed. With such excellent and expert speakers, it
was disappointing that only about 75 people from the entire diocese attended
the recent Diocesan Respect life Conference in Marietta. Since this is Respect Life month, I would
like to share a few highlights of that excellent conference.
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| Right to Life from Conception to Natural Death |
End of Life Issues
Jason B. Negri, MS, JD, the Assistant
Director of the Patients Rights Council (www.patientsrightscouncil.org),
author of many articles, and a practicing attorney gave the keynote address not
on abortion, but on a growing threat…….euthanasia. It is legal in some states and even where it
is illegal, there is often de facto euthanasia.
“It happens all the time that the patient is receiving comfort care and
suddenly s/he’s gone since death is hastened”.
Some experts predict that it will increase especially when treatment is
too costly and euthanasia is cheaper. An
insurance company may pay for euthanasia, but not life saving treatment. In Belgium and the Netherlands, 32% of
euthanasia is done without the patient’s consent. The same could happen here if trends
continue. Then medical professionals would have to participate
in assisted suicide and abortion or lose their jobs.
Thus Mr. Negri recommends advanced
directives as a living will with your wishes stated or a medical power of
attorney in case of dementia and inability to function. The problem with an advanced directive is who
interprets the document. It could be
somebody in the hospital with a bias for euthanasia. If your wishes are not specifically stated, most
states accept the decision of first the spouse and second the adult
children. It could also be a hospital
board that may not be your advocate.
The
Church does not require vitalism…….sustaining life in the terminally ill
as long as possible. “As Christians we
should not be afraid of death and as St. Francis even welcome it to be with
God. Most people prefer to die at home
in the presence of their loved ones. However
there is a big distinction between allowing the terminally ill patient to die
naturally and killing him. The benefit
verses the burden should be considered in deciding whether to give the patient
more quimo, keeping him on a ventilator, etc.
However, food and water must be given to the patient unless the body is
shutting down and cannot process it. It
is not medical treatment, but normative even if through a tube. That is essential to comfort care. Death must not be hastened as by an overdose.
It is form of coercion to tell the
patient “Maybe assisted suicide is an option”, implying that s/he is a burden. Of course, pain should be and invariably can
be alleviated even though the patient is offering it up.
I might add that euthanasia is evil
not only because it is “mercy” killing, but because it deprives the patient of
the time needed to prepare spiritually for eternity. We don’t know how God uses that additional
time. There are great spiritual benefits
in offering up suffering as a prayer for peace, the Church, and loved ones in
faith and trust in God. Such an attitude
is a path to sanctity (see my blog #133).
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| How can Society allow the destruction of so many miracles? |
Post Abortion
Healing
Lynette Hawrot, a licensed clinical
counselor, asserted from her experience that post abortion trauma is very real
despite denials by the pro-abortion camp that it does not exist. “At least 80% of women suffer great guilt,
although some 10% don’t.” In addition
there is anger, depression, and often alcoholism. Common is “I know God
forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself”.
One priest in the audience
revealed that some 15 girls confessed to an abortion and the common thread was
that they hear a baby crying at night.
Ms. Howrot confirmed that commonality.
Therapy may include writing a letter to
the aborted baby after giving him/her a name; bringing flowers to her; putting
a teddy bear in a corner of the house; using www.rachelsvineyard.org or www.HealingHearts.org; and of course,
confession. The women must forgive
themselves and must accept God’s mercy because many feel that their abortion is
so evil that God won’t forgive them.
She recommended the books “Forbidden Grief, the Unspoken Pain of
Abortion” by Theresa Burke and “Unplanned” by Abby Johnson on her
experience working in a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.
The
Need for Conscience Protection
Amy McInerny of the National
Committee for a Human Life Amendment (www.nchla.org
& www.endroe.org) updated us on what’s
current and proposed in Congress. The “No
Taxpayer funding for Abortion Act” was voted down in 2010. Also introduced by Chris Smith (R-NJ) is the
“Abortion
Insurance Disclosure Act”. The
Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby Decision held that the contraceptive mandate as
applied to closely held for–profit corporations violated the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
The Health Care Conscience Rights Act (HCCRA) was introduced in
both houses, but needs your support via letters to your congressmen. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 2007
Massachusetts law that made it a crime to stand on a public sidewalk within 35
feet of an entrance or drive to an abortion clinic because it violated the
First Amendment.
Reacting to the Hobby Lobby case, Senate
liberals introduced the so called “Protect Women’s Health from Corporate
Interference Act” that would revoke conscience rights now guaranteed by
RFRA (“Restoration of Freedom of Religion Act”) for employers and
could empower federal officials to mandate abortion in health plans. It failed by only two votes. The “Women’s Health Protection Act” would
mandate that abortion be treated as a routine medical procedure. That would knock down almost every state or
federal law that seeks to restrain or regulate abortion. I might add that a few weeks ago our 17 year
old son was refused an eye exam until he received parental permission by law,
but a 16 year old girl can get an abortion and the parents may never know.
We must urge our congressmen to vote for
pro-life legislation. Letters to
congressmen are very effective. She repeated
the quote: “When the government fears the
people, that’s liberty; when the people fear the government, that’s tyranny”. She suggested that we follow the admonition
of Pope Benedict XVI: “When you speak the
truth, speak with charity”. The
United States Catholic Bishops Conference website (www.usccb.org) gives updates on legislation.
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| Babies were tremendous witnesses in the 2012 March for Life |
Challenges Faced
By Medical Professionals
Dan Halrot, a pharmacist, would not
be able to work in conscience for most drugstores. There are an estimated 1,894,000 abortions
per year due to the pill. The use of
contraceptives actually increase pregnancy rates because the false sense of
security increases sexual activity and the failure rate is very
significant. There is indeed a
correlation between the pill and breast cancer despite denials of the so called
experts. Many vaccines are created using aborted fetal cell
lines (see www.soundchoice.org). Children of God for Life (www.cogforlife.org) provides a list of
products that use fetal cell lines.
One obstetrician observed that
seeing a cadaver was a life changing experience because he thought that there
must have been something that gave this mass of tissues life.
Halrot encouraged pro-lifers: “We
have the truth. Be firm; promulgate the
truth. We’re the lighthouse and cannot
move and adjust course as a ship can. We
live in the Church and go to the world.”
Another speaker advocated the
positive in pro-life campaigns…….showing the beauty of a baby’s development
from conception to birth and beyond.
Mass & Homily
by Bishop Monforton
He introduced his homily singing:
“Let your light shine through the darkness”.
We are not alone. He noted that most
girls who come for an abortion at Ohio University are freshmen. If the guy says: “I support you in your
decision”, there’s a 90% probability that the girl will keep the baby. Teaching the kids in the 8th grade
about the evils of abortion is too late.
The culture already has them indoctrinated. Kids learn from their parents. This was evident by the experience of our
daughter as a babysitter. She played
“Mommy” with a little girl, who said:
“I’m going to have my tubes tied”.
As a postscript, let me share the true story of Jane Roe, actually Norma McCorvey of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court Decision. Click on http://endroe.org/roebio.aspx.
