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At the litany of roses, some of the attendees at the liturgy were asked to bring 36 red roses to the altar — one for each year since Roe v. Wade, to be placed at a portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary, protectoress of the unborn.
Jordan McMorrough | Today's Catholic |
SAN ANTONIO • Whether it was the rebirth of the Catholic pro-life program in the archdiocese, an opportunity to speak out against a potential Freedom of Choice Act, or just to oppose the loss of innocent lives, a week of observances commemorating the 36th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion had people of good will and of all faith traditions rededicating themselves to the pro-life message here.
On a windy, cold Saturday morning, Jan. 24, more than 200 walkers for life took part in a peaceful rosary procession from St. Mary Magdalen Church on Clower Street to the Planned Parenthood location at the corner of Fredericksburg and Babcock roads.
After praying the rosary on the sidewalk in front of the facility, the group returned to St. Mary Magdalen Church for the celebration of a memorial Mass for life by Father Joseph Mary Marshall, SM, pastor.
In his homily, Father Marshall alluded to the rosary procession. “These public demonstrations truly show our opposition to this (abortion). None of us should stand for our tax dollars going to this. Ask the Lord for courage and strength to stand up for the truth.”
He continued, “We are Jesus’ friends. It was a little cold today. We walked a little bit. We prayed in front of Planned Parenthood. As many of us as possible should go out there and be part of a prayerful and peaceful presence. We must make sacrifices to give up the culture of death.”
Father Joseph Mary then asked, “What is the greatest love?” He replied, “To stand up for the truth. To do this we need grace and the power of the sacraments, especially Jesus in the Eucharist.”
The Marianist priest concluded, “Pray that the Holy Spirit guides us and inspires us in our efforts. The culture of death will die. The culture of life will live.”
Prior to the end of the liturgy, Rick Doucette, pro-life director for the archdiocese, spoke at the litany of the roses, in which some attendees are asked to bring 36 red roses to the altar — one for each year since Roe v. Wade, to be placed at the foot of a portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary, protectoress of the unborn.
On Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, struck down Texas criminal abortion statute, which prohibited abortion except where necessary to preserve the life of the mother.
The court declared, for the first time, that the “right of privacy” in the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution includes a right of a woman to decide “whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.” The court also held that the word “person” in the fourteenth amendment does not include the unborn. The companion decision, Doe v. Dalton invalidated the abortion laws in all 50 states.
“Over these years, the people and their elected representatives have been able to enact a wide range of laws that help protect human life and to help pregnant women and their families have a real choice — the choice of life,” said Doucette. “Today in this country we face perhaps the most dangerous period in our history since Roe v Wade. Our new administration and Congress, many of whom are unabashedly pro-choice, have vowed to enact what is known as the Freedom of Choice Act — FOCA.”
FOCA could endanger the wide range of enacted laws — laws upheld under Roe and cases applying them.
“FOCA is the most radical and extreme abortion legislation ever considered in the United States. We can and must oppose it, and we will,” Doucette said.
The U.S. Catholic bishops’ anti-FOCA campaign, being conducted in parishes over the next few weeks, is the church’s organized effort to show that millions of Americans oppose the policies that FOCA could enact.
“I urge you to actively work to make this campaign a success,” said the pro-life director.
Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, 50 million abortions have been performed in this country — an average of 1.2 million abortions a year — or 3,300 a day.
The latest available statistics from 2007 show that, in Bexar County alone, 7,372 pregnancies were terminated, 21 a day, 142 a week.
Sadly, studies also note that 32 percent of these abortions are procured by women who identify themselves as Catholic. That averages 384,000 abortions performed on Catholics every year; more than 1,000 every day. And perhaps as many as 3,600 abortions a year performed on Catholics in Bexar County.
“Let us pray for the grieving mothers and fathers, the families and all who have entered into this darkness. Let us pray that they find the help they need to gain forgiveness from God through his church,” said Doucette, as attendees reflected in silence on the 36 years of abortion in this country. “Let us pray that the Catholic pro-life movement will be reborn and strengthened to oppose anew the culture of death in this country. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe and protectoress of the unborn, pray for us.”
Following the Mass, two bus loads of attendees loaded up for a trip to Austin for the Texas Rally for Life on the south steps of the State Capitol. Gov. Rick Perry was the featured speaker. According to rally organizers, more than 105 cities were represented at the gathering.
Earlier that week, on Jan. 22, a pro-life holy hour was held at St. Matthew Church following a vigil Mass celebrated by retired Amarillo Bishop John W. Yanta.