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Statements
Issued In 1999
Reaching Out to People Involved
in Abortion
Oct. 1999
Lamb of God, You take away
the Sins of the World
(John 1:29).
A woman’s decision to have an abortion is often complex and influenced by many
pressures. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, compassionately reaches out to
women who have made that choice in his encyclical letter, Evangelium Vitae, "The
Gospel of
Life." While condemning abortion as
"an unspeakable crime," he acknowledges that "the decision
to have an abortion is often tragic
and painful for the mother."
During October, Respect Life Month, we wish to reach out in a special way,
through Project Rachel, to the many women, as well as men, who have been
involved in abortion. We are aware that our society supports a culture of death.
Immoral laws promoting abortion, medical professionals who have abandoned their
morals and ethics for profits, rejection of marriage, the devaluation of women
and children and a contempt for the sacredness of human life all support and
promote this culture. All play a role in the duplicity and complicity in each
individual abortion decision. Too often
little thought is given to
the after-shock this terrible decision has on the
woman, who is almost as much a
victim as her aborted baby.
The death of a child in the womb leaves a wound of great magnitude. The majority
of women who have attended the diocesan healing services we have held regularly
since 1992 give painful testimony to this truth. Their stories are
heartbreaking. Many times they are wrongfully influenced by boyfriend, friends,
family, doctors or nurses
who urge the so-called termination
of pregnancy. They never hear about alternatives, such
as support for mother and child or
adoption, so they choose abortion.
The aftermath of this decision is devastation, sorrow, abandonment, guilt and
psychological pain. Many believe they can never be forgiven. To those who are
suffering this pain, we encourage you not to give up hope. Certainly, what was
chosen was and remains terribly wrong and a serious sin.
I ask you, nevertheless, to
seek the mercy of a loving God by
examining what happened honestly and by praying
for true repentance and humility.
We invite you to seek the help
of Project Rachel, a post-abortion reconciliation program. Project Rachel offers
complete confidentiality
and counseling from specially trained
priests who are sensitive and compassionate. Together, you
will begin your journey to the fullness
of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
In a special message to women who have had an abortion, Pope John Paul II, in
the "Gospel of Life," explains how lives can be transformed by the Church’s
healing ministry:"You will come to
understand that nothing is definitively
lost and you also will be able to
ask forgiveness from your child who is
now living in the Lord."
I fervently urge anyone who
seeks help and reconciliation to
contact Project Rachel at (718) 625-7800. I reemphasize
that your call will be received with
utmost respect and in confidence.
We would be remiss not to mention the many mothers who choose life. Mothers who
have sought and received the help of our diocesan pro-life program have learned
that having the baby was a decision no mother has regretted. Programs of
alternatives to abortion and adoption have offered the support and hope they
needed at a difficult time. We have witnessed their great joy and have been
deeply touched as they expressed their thanks and appreciation to the
Church and its agencies and
to all who have helped them. The answer
to a crisis pregnancy is to eliminate
the crisis, not the pregnancy.
At the close of "The Gospel of Life," Pope John Paul II entrusts the cause of
life to Mary:"A sign of sure hope and solace" and "Mother of the living." He
asks Our Lady to gaze down on the vast number of babies not allowed to be born.
He implores that the
Gospel of life be proclaimed,
accepted, celebrated and borne witness to "in order
to build, together with all people of
good will, a new world."
May this be the
object of our prayer: a world where every
life is sacred and everyone is supported
and encouraged to choose life.
Let the Gospel of Life Penetrate
All of Society
As
we prepare for the third
millennium of Christianity, it is clear that
now, more than ever, the world
needs to hear and live the
message of the "Gospel of Life." Pope John
Paul II says we are called "to bring
the Gospel of Life to the heart of every
man and woman and to make it penetrate
every part of our society" (Evangelium Vitae, 80).
We are deeply and sadly aware that in America since the Roe v. Wade decision
made abortion a constitutional right, there have been over 38 million recorded
abortions. In a recent
five-year period in Brooklyn and
Queens alone, 286,000 abortions were performed, according
to statistics compiled by the New
York State Department of Health. In
1996, the most recent year for which statistics
were reported, there were 60,888 abortions in the
two counties of the Diocese. This was an increase
of 9,280 from the previous year, after the
number had declined in both 1994 and 1995.
The enormity of this reality is
almost too great to be
understood by most Americas. Yet it is
true, real, a great national disgrace
and a collective sin. It is
a reality so evil that it is almost
impossible to comprehend. Many in our society choose
to ignore this and they seek to justify abortion
and reject the truth. Meanwhile, the American holocaust
of the unborn child continues unabated and unmourned.
Those who speak out in behalf of the unborn child are often ridiculed. They are
deemed by some media and others to be at worst the lunatic fringe or at best the
far right. Certainly,
they are never considered politically
correct. In truth, those who speak for
the voiceless child in the womb
and work and pray for legal
protection for the unborn are modern prophets. They
bring to the world the message it urgently
needs to hear. The message is that each and
every human being is a child of God
whose life is sacred and posesses inherent dignity.
"All human beings, from their
mothers’ wombs, belong to God who searches them and
knows them, who forms them and knits them
together with His own hands" (Evangelium Vitae, 60).
So
it is clear we must continue to speak
for the unborn and to seek legal protection
for the unborn child. We must work and pray
to heal and recreate our society so that
it reflects the moral vision of our Church.
There are other steps we must take to help bring about a climate
of respect for life and
for each other. We need to support
marriage and family life. The sacredness
of the marriage vows must be
universally recognized. Catholic families should be living symbols
of our conviction that life is always a
gift from God. Parents must teach their children to
respect all life and we ask all families
to pray together for an end to abortion.
We need to affirm constantly that chastity is one of the greatest virtues
because it gives each of us the strength and courage to use our sexuality in
accordance with our state in life and in cooperation with the will of God. We
must remember that sexual
intimacy is reserved for marriage.
We should also remember that chastity involves
moral decisions and a spiritual state.
Sex, the Holy Father reminds us,
is the beautiful gift of a good God,
and we must use this gift as He
intended. Chastity not only fosters good marriages and develops
confident and responsible teenagers, it also strengthens the
belief in the sanctity of the human person.
We pray that, as
we approach the new millennium, we’ll continue
to confront the contradictions and evils
of our age courageously and prayerfully.
We should always remember that we must bring
truth and light to our troubled world. With
hope born of faith in Jesus Christ, we will
proclaim the Gospel the Life and, in doing
so, we pray that God’s law will prevail.
God bless you.
Statements of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
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