UNBORN WORD of the day

JEROME LEJEUNE
June 13, 1926 - April 3,1994

Jérôme Jean Louis Marie Lejeune (Montrouge, France; June 13, 1926-April 3, 1994) was a French Catholic pro-life pediatrician and geneticist, best known for his discovery of the link of diseases to chromosome abnormalities. He developed the karotype, and discovered the link between inadequate intake of Folic Acid by pregnant women and neural tube defects.

Lejeune had made his career specializing in the treatment of children with Down’s syndrome. He discovered that children with Down’s syndrome have an extra copy (called a trisomy) of chromosome 21. He spent the remainder of his life researching a cure for Down syndrome. He said, “it would take less effort to find a cure for Down syndrome than to send a man to the moon.” He also diagnosed the first case of Cri du chat syndrome, or 5p deletion syndrome, in 1963.

In an article entitled Professor Jerome Lejeune this moving account of his last days can be found: “ On Good Friday , he confided to a priest who was giving him last rites : ‘I have never betrayed my faith. This is all that counts before God…’ He told his children who were asking him what he wished to bequeath to his little patients : ‘I don’t have much, you know… So, I have given them my life. And my life is all that I had.’ Then, moved to tears, he murmured, ‘O my God! I was supposed to have cured them, and I am leaving without having found … What will happen to them?’ Then, radiant with joy, he spoke to his loved ones: ‘My children, if I can leave you a message, this is the most important of all : we are in the hands of God. I have experienced this a number of times.’ “

In her book, Life is a Blessing, Clara Lejeune (Jerome’s daughter) tells us that Pope John Paul II spoke these words after Jerome’s death on Easter Sundsy to her sister Anouk: “Humanly speaking we need him so much. But maybe this is a gift he has given us for the Academy and for all this pro-life work. Didn’t Christ die on the cross to save us?”

On the surface it would seem that Dr. Lejeune had failed but in fact he kept hope alive - he spoke truth to the world that these children with Downs syndrome are precious and that we should continue to seek a cure. In an article in the July 6-12, 2008 issue of the National Catholic Register, entitled The Legacy of Jerome Lejeune and the Resurgence of Down Syndrome Research , LETICIA VELASQUEZ details encouraging research developments in this field. To read the details about this research for Dr. Lejeunes beloved ‘patients’ click on the article above. I’m sure Dr. Lejeune is looking on from heaven with great happiness - researchers are carrying on his work and what he worked for may someday be a reality.

Thank you to Cathlete for alerting us to the wonderful article by Leticia Velasquez .

Answer: Dr. Jerome Lejeune and his wife, Birthe LeJeune.

On May 13, 1981, Jerome and his wife were in Rome. The Holy Father wished to receive them in a private audience. After the discussion, the Pope spontaneously invited them to stay for lunch. The same evening, on their way back to Paris, they learned about the attack on John Paul II, a few hours after they had left him. Jerome’s health was shaken by this news.

John Paul II later appointed Dr Lejeune to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. When he created the Pontifical Academy for Life, he made Dr. Lejeune president of that Academy, just prior to his death of cancer in Paris in 1994.

Jérôme Lejeune died on Easter Sunday, 1994. The day after Dr. Lejeune’s death John Paul II spoke these words:

“We find ourselves today faced with the death of a great Christian of the twentieth century, a man for whom the defense of life had become an apostolate. It is clear that, in the situation of the world today, this form of apostolate among the laity is particularly necessary… “

In 1997 John Paul II visited his friend’s grave during World Youth Day in Paris. One of the French journalists commented on the event with the following pun: The Pope visited “the young” (”les jeunes”) and Lejeune.

“St. Joseph presents us with a similar, yet somewhat different, type of devotion to the Sacred Infancy.

During the nine months the accumulation of grace upon him must have been beyond our powers of calculation. The company of Mary, the atmosphere of Jesus, the continual presence of the Incarnate God, and the fact of his own life being nothing but a series of ministries to the unborn Word, must have lifted him far above all other saints, and perchance all angels too.

Our Lord’s Birth, and the sight of His Face, must have been to him like another sanctification. The mystery of Bethlehem was enough of itself to place him among the highest of the saints.” From Bethlehem by Father Faber

St. Joseph is a model for all those in the pro-life movement. He took unborn Jesus and Mary into his heart and life. He took care of them, saved them from disgrace and even death, supported them and helped them find shelter. Father Faber talks about the grace Joseph received in this ministry - think of all of the graces you receive in your ministry to the unborn and their mothers.

‘And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

Good Counsel

Just one of the thousand’s of pregnancy counseling centers and homes!

…a place where the Corporeal and Spiritual Acts of Mercy are lived each day

On September 17, 2004 Archbishop Myers had an insightful yet succinct article in The Wall Street Journal titled, A VOTER’S GUIDE Pro-Choice Candidates and Church Teaching.

He begins by talking about a statement released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (headed at the time by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) called “On Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion“. He goes on:

“Cardinal Ratzinger stated that a “Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of a candidate’s permissive stand on abortion.” But the question of the moment is whether a Catholic may vote for a pro-abortion candidate for other reasons. The cardinal’s next sentence answered that question: A Catholic may vote for a pro-abortion Catholic politician only ‘in the presence of proportionate reasons.’

What are “proportionate reasons”? …for a Catholic citizen to vote for a candidate who supports abortion and embryo-destructive research, one of the following circumstances would have to obtain: either (a) both candidates would have to be in favor of embryo killing on roughly an equal scale or (b) the candidate with the superior position on abortion and embryo-destructive research would have to be a supporter of objective evils of a gravity and magnitude beyond that of 1.3 million yearly abortions plus the killing that would take place if public funds were made available for embryo-destructive research.

Frankly, it is hard to imagine circumstance (b) in a society such as ours. No candidate advocating the removal of legal protection against killing for any vulnerable group of innocent people other than unborn children would have a chance of winning a major office in our country. Even those who support the death penalty for first-degree murderers are not advocating policies that result in more than a million killings annually.”

The rest of the article wrestles with that question: ‘What are proportionate reasons?’ He comments on lots of issues - the war in Iraq, the death penalty, welfare, social security, taxes, and others showing how abortion takes precedence over each of these issues. It is an excellent article and just as relevant today as it was in 2004. To read the entire article click here.

Archbishop John J. Myers led the Stations of the Cross for Life in Englewood. Participants walked in procession past a clinic that performs abortions while praying the rosary.

In our last post we discussed Archbishop Raymond Burke and a pontifical appointment he and Archbishop John Myers received. Today we will feature a few quotes from Archbishop Myers who was Bishop of Peoria, IL from 1987-2001 and has been Archbishop of Newark, NJ since 2001.

In June 1990 he wrote a Pastoral Statement on the Obligations of Catholics and the Rights of Unborn Children. Here are a few quotes:

“Public law wisely does not attempt to forbid every immoral act or require that citizens fulfill every one of their moral obligations. There are, however, certain evil acts which the law of any just society must forbid. One of the central purposes of public authority is to prevent injustices. Gravely unjust acts, especially acts of unjust killing, cannot be legally tolerated. Nor can public law permit the unjust killing of a whole class of human beings while protecting the lives of others.“

“Let there be no doubt that striving for legal abortion is radically inconsistent with the Catholic faith. Any citizen or public official who helps to make abortion more widely available, or any priest, religious, or theologian who teaches that it ought to be made available, commits a grave injustice against the most vulnerable members of the human family.”

“There is, and can be, no such thing as an authentic “pro-choice” Catholic.”

“As voters, Catholics are under an obligation to avoid implicating themselves in abortion.”

In May 2004 he wrote another pastoral statement called: A Time for Honesty. In this statement he discussed the issue of abortion and conscience. Here are a few quotes:

“…’respect’ for another’s conscience should never require abandoning one’s own properly formed conscience. Conscientious opposition to abortion, rooted in an understanding of the sanctity of human life, may not be sacrificed simply because others, whose consciences are gravely mistaken, would unjustly take the life of an unborn baby.”

“Human life is a gift from God and as Catholics we have a most grave obligation to defend all human life from the moment of conception until natural death. God help us if we fail in this most fundamental obligation.“

A FUTURE POST WILL INCLUDE QUOTES FROM ARCHBISHOP MYERS’ 2004 WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE titled “A Voter’s Guide“.

Catholic politicians who vote for abortion

First, check out can. 915 of the Code of Canon Law.

Second, read Archbishop Raymond Burke’s recently published article in the Canon Law journal Periodica de re Canonica, vol. 96 (2007) called, The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin.

We devoted a post to this topic on May 1, 2008, focusing on the denial of Eucharistic communion to Catholic politicians who, after being instructed by their pastor in the Church’s teaching about the sacredness of human life, persist in promoting abortion. But we wanted to give a little more information and also an update. The article by Archbishop Burke might be legitimately seen as a turning point in the Church’s efforts to discipline those who want to stand defiantly against human life within the womb and also want Catholics to vote for them in every election. These are the deceitful Catholic politicians who want their cake and want to eat it too, or in their case want you to abort your baby and want to kiss your baby on the campaign trail too!

With the aforementioned article Archbishop Burke is leading a nimble Canonical charge against Catholic politicians who want to aggressively promote the culture of death within our society. God bless him! Well, that is exactly what is happening. I subscribe to the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, and on the back page of my May 14, 2008 English Edition, under the “Roman Curia” heading I read the following news: Appointments by Pope Benedict XVI to the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. I see a blank expression on your face! This Pontifical Council is the official body which authentically interprets Canon Law. After naming six cardinals appointed as members the list ends humbly with two Archbishops: “Archbishop John Joseph Myers of Newark, U.S.A. and Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke of Saint Louis, U.S.A.”

While Archbishop Burke is no stranger to the Vatican - years ago he served on the Roman Rota - yet this recent appointment following his publication of a somewhat controversial article on a very controversial subject suggests that the Vatican is on board with Burke and bored with the old approach of “letting sleeping dogs lie” (especially when they are really wolves in sheep’s clothing).

OUR NEXT BLOG WILL FEATURE ARCHBISHOP JOHN J. MYERS

Governor Sarah Palin is the current Governor of Alaska. She is pro-life and a member of Feminists for Life. She was told last December that the child she was carrying had Down Syndrome. On April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin who is her fifth child.

This is the announcement that the family made after Trig’s birth:

“Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives.”

Governor Palin also said about Trig:

“I’m looking at him right now, and I see perfection,” Palin said. “Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?”

What a beautiful pro-life example when you consider that at least 80% of children with disabilities are aborted in this country.

Another pro-life politician who recently had a baby with Down syndrome is Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rogers. U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington state Republican, has just celebrated the first birthday of her son Cole, her first child, who was born with Down syndrome. She is busy campaigning for a third term, and Cole often travels with her between Washington, D.C., and the Pacific Northwest.

Here is what she says about her son:

“Cole opened my eyes to the pain and trouble a lot of families endure,” Rodgers said. “He’s allowed me to see people and circumstance more deeply, and the generosity of people.”

“It’s in human nature to focus on the negative, on what the person can’t do. In our mind, we are focused on what he can do, what he will be able to do and do very well.”

She is also spearheading a new Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus:

“It’s the goal of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus to allow every child with Down syndrome to reach their full potential. We’ll work to raise expectations and improve education, make it easier for people with Down syndrome to find jobs, and promote funding and research for effective treatments and therapies,” McMorris Rodgers said.

In an article entitled, Getting to Know John McCain, Karl Rove writes about Cindy and John McCain’s decision to adopt a child from one of Mother Teresa’s orphanages.

“…in 1991 Cindy McCain was visiting Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh when a dying infant was thrust into her hands. The orphanage could not provide the medical care needed to save her life, so Mrs. McCain brought the child home to America with her. She was met at the airport by her husband, who asked what all this was about.

Mrs. McCain replied that the child desperately needed surgery and years of rehabilitation. “I hope she can stay with us,” she told her husband. Mr. McCain agreed. Today that child is their teenage daughter Bridget.

I was aware of this story. What I did not know, and what I learned from Doris, is that there was a second infant Mrs. McCain brought back. She ended up being adopted by a young McCain aide and his wife.

“We were called at midnight by Cindy,” Wes Gullett remembers, and “five days later we met our new daughter Nicki at the L.A. airport wearing the only clothing Cindy could find on the trip back, a 7-Up T-shirt she bought in the Bangkok airport.” Today, Nicki is a high school sophomore. Mr. Gullett told me, “I never saw a hospital bill” for her care.”

A few things not mentioned in Karl Rove’s article about Cindy McCain is that after earning a Masters in Special Education at the University of Southern California she became a special needs teacher. She has also founded and supported many very worthy charities including American Voluntary Medical Team (AVMT) which brought emergency medical relief to countries all over the world. Another organization she founded is the Hensley Family Foundation, which donates monies towards children’s programs in Arizona and nationally. And she has been a longtime active volunteer in an organization called Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization that has been repairing child and young adult cleft palates and cleft lips in countries around the globe.

One great way to spread the pro-life message is through advertising. With this in mind I thought I would highlight some interesting pro-life ads.

When I was at the March for Life someone from Canada told me about the above ad. This Canadian ad was rejected by some cities in Canada as too controversial. Incredible!

Of course the pro-abortion side wants everyone to imagine that the child is just a tissue. The above ad addresses that fallacy in a somewhat humorous way.

Here is an ad from a group (Prolife Across America) that specializes in thought provoking pro-life billboards. Click here to see more.

Feminists for life have some thought provoking ads for magazines. Click here to view more ads.

At the March for Life I got to meet a wonderful couple, Maureen & Michael Nuzzi, who started an organization called Truthbooth. “The mission of the “Truth Booth” is to educate the public on the pre-natal development of the child in the womb using ultrasound video footage presented through an unmanned kiosk” (usually at malls).

Finally, one of the challenges to pro-life ads is rejection. Here is a cartoon about this:

Since the early 70’s in the U.S., Canada and many other countries - there have been a lot of creative pro-life ads developed. Sadly, many of them were rejected by the pro-abortion slanted media. We want to salute all of those pro-lifers who have created and continue to get create pro-life messages through  print, media, video, radio and billboard ads.

When the culture you live in respects and promotes human life will you even notice? Here are 10 “society-wide” signs to look for in a “Culture of Life”:

1. Humble respect towards God, Source and Creator of human life and the beautiful universe we inhabit and the recognition that life is a gift to be cherished.
2. Awe and respect for the origin of individual human life, that is, respect for the integrity of procreation and the incipient new life of the human embryo.
3. Thoughtful respect for the sacred character of maternity and the right to life of the unborn child - particularly characterized by a medical profession that treats both mother and unborn child as “patients” and refuses to advocate the killing of a “patient”.
4. Respect for all people with disabilities, and especially children with disabilities, such that the medical profession and other “caring professions” treat unborn and newborn children with disabilities as patients deserving of professional care and human compassion - not problems to be eliminated.
5. That adoption is understood and appreciated as a life-giving, life-nurturing option for the individual child and for the well-being of society as a whole.
6. Profound respect for the dignity of the elderly infirm and those who are dying along with corresponding compassionate care and services.
7. Respect and societal support for the covenant/sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman.
8. Respect and practical support for the institution of the family, sometimes called the “domestic church”, and even a “preferential option” for all children from infancy to adolescence.
9. A genuine appreciation within Christianity, for that “childlike spirituality” so strongly encouraged by Jesus.
10. A society that is known for an attitude of acceptance, forgiveness, compassion and understanding towards all, and particularly towards the poor, the sick, the weak and the marginalized.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, was born on May 08, 1895. Here is what he wrote about the Visitaion:

“One of the most beautiful moments in history was that when pregnancy met pregnancy ‑ when child bearers became the first heralds of the King of Kings. All pagan religions begin with the teachings of adults, but Christianity begins with the birth of a Child. From that day to this, Christians have ever been the defenders of the family and the love of generation.“

“If we ever sat down to write out what we would expect the Infinite God to do, certainly the last thing we would expect would be to see him imprisoned in a carnal ciborium for nine months; and the next to last thing we would expect is that the ‘greatest man ever born of a woman’ while yet in his mother’s womb, would salute the yet imprisoned God-man. But this is precisely what took place in the Visitation.”

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Ph.D., D.D., The World’s First Love (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1956), 31.

Hands of Elizabeth welcomes the yet unborn Jesus (IHS) into her home
Stained glass window from
BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL
St. Edmunds College Canberra

How does God receive one’s intimate Christian prayer? If one prays simply: “Jesus I adore You”, how does the Lord view such a prayer? Or if one prays: “Jesus please protect the unborn children in my community who are at risk today”, what does the Lord do with such a simple prayer?

Doesn’t the Lord appreciate simplicity and heartfelt intimacy such as this?

And what if we whisper an intimate prayer to the Lord that He doesn’t hear from others, that is somewhat unusual, yet sincere and heartfelt, what does He do with such a prayer?

For example: “Unborn Jesus I adore You!” Or “Unborn Jesus please have pity upon the unborn children in my community who are at risk today”.

Is it possible that a prayer that is so different in its simplicity and intimacy could be perceived by God as something like a rare flower? Might it be that God especially cherishes one’s unique heartfelt expression of one’s love of Him or one’s petition to Him?

Let’s find out!

Kelly Clark had an interesting post concerning the recent discussion in the news about pro-abortion politicians receiving communion. Her title was: Bishops: I know you were busy with the Papal visit and all but Communion is…serious

We thought the following quotes and links would contribute to the ongoing discussion:

The following two quotes are taken from a memorandum sent by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in his capacity as Prefect for the Sacred Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, in June 2004 to Cardinal Theodore McCarrick (who at that time was exercising leadership in the U. S. Conference of Bishops concerning matters of domestic policy). The memorandum is entitled Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion - General Principles:

“Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”

“Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.”

In Sacramentum Caritatis an Apostolic Exhortation issued by Pope Benedict on February 22, 2007 we find this:

“Here it is important to consider what the Synod Fathers described as Eucharistic consistency, … Evidently, this is true for all the baptized, yet it is especially incumbent upon those who, by virtue of their social or political position, must make decisions regarding fundamental values, such as respect for human life, its defense from conception to natural death, the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman, the freedom to educate one’s children and the promotion of the common good in all its forms (230). These values are not negotiable. Consequently, Catholic politicians and legislators, conscious of their grave responsibility before society, must feel particularly bound, on the basis of a properly formed conscience, to introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature (231). There is an objective connection here with the Eucharist (cf. 1 Cor 11:27-29). Bishops are bound to reaffirm constantly these values as part of their responsibility to the flock entrusted to them (232).”

Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, in an essay entitled A Twelve Step Program for Bishops said:

“If the Penal Canons of the Code are now to be dusted off and brought out of the cupboard within which they have lain dormant for almost half-a-century, it is because the balm of mercy and discretion of measure have failed to heal the growing infection of error and scandal inside the Church and the genocide increasing daily in the world around us. The time for half-measures and fear of reprisal, loss of position, temporal advantage, or career opportunity is over - the time for action in now.”

To bring into focus the application of canon law to this topic, we highly recommend the recent scholarly article by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke entitled The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin (Periodica De Re Canonica, Vol. 96, 2007) and the interview with Archbishop Burke conducted by Barbara Kralis entitled: Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, the new ‘John Fisher’ by Barbara Kralis August 5, 2004.

Ben Stein in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”

Ben Stein vs. Big Science! Ben’s new movie “Expelled” is worth going to see. First of all, he presents a serious subject with a lot of humor which makes it quite enjoyable. But more importantly, Ben is trying to promote a culture of life from an unusual perspective.

It is a thought provoking movie aimed at generally promoting “freedom of thought” and specifically within the scientific community. Many influential scientists promote their own aggressive agendas based on “freedom of choice” but are opposed to “freedom of thought”. Watch to see how Ben links the culture of death mentality with narrow-minded Darwinism and a culture of life approach with openness to Intelligent Design theory.*

I first saw Ben Stein speak at a Pro - Life conference around 1986 when I was the Education Director for the Right to Life League of Southern California. He was our featured speaker and did a great job. I just saw his new movie - which begins with him giving a speech to a crowd - and it brought back fond memories. Ben entertains while he educates, inspires while he informs - what a concept!

*Others have made this same connection between the Culture of Death mentality and Darwin. For a readable scholarly look at the bigger picture see Architects Of The Culture Of Death by my former Philosophy professor, Donald DeMarco and his co-author Benjamin Wiker. In this book they have exposed its roots by introducing its “architects.” In a scholarly, yet reader-friendly delineation of the mindsets of twenty-three influential thinkers, such as Ayn Rand, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alfred Kinsey, Margaret Sanger, Jack Kevorkian, and Peter Singer, they make clear the aberrant thought and malevolent intentions that have shaped the Culture of Death.

Christ is the hope of the pro-life movement. Pope Benedict reminded us at Midnight Mass on December 24 , 2006 that hope for the pro-life movement can be drawn from the saving work of Jesus Christ - even his saving work as an infant.

“The child of Bethlehem directs our gaze towards all children who suffer and are abused in the world, the born and the unborn…. In all of these it is the Child of Bethlehem who is crying out to us; it is the God who has become small who appeals to us…”

“God has become one of us, so that we can be with him and become like him. As a sign, he chose the Child lying in the manger: this is how God is. This is how we come to know him. And on every child shines something of the splendor of that “today”, of that closeness of God which we ought to love and to which we must yield - it shines on every child, even on those still unborn.” Pope Benedict XVI - Midnight Mass Homily - Christmas Eve 2006.

Benedict XVI meeting with disabled youth at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

How exciting for us to have had Pope Benedict XVI visit the United States with the message of Christ Our Hope. We all need hope in this world. Benedict spoke on many wonderful topics and it will take time to really digest his message. Following are 5 pro-life quotes by Benedict given at 4 different New York venues.

While at St. Patrick’s Cathedral he said:

“ The Church…is called to proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life….The proclamation of life, life in abundance, must be the heart of the new evangelization.”

In his meeting with disabled children at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers he expressed God’s love for them:

“God has blessed you with life, and with differing talents and gifts….God’s unconditional love, which bathes every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life.”

At the final Mass at Yankee Stadium he told us that Christ’s truth supports us in our respect for human life (at this point the crowd broke into applause).

“May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, “the same, yesterday, and today and for ever” and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in him (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10; Heb 13:8). These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world - including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb.”

And he praised Catholics in this country:

“In our day too, the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life…”

We know that one of the arduous tasks of our generation is to fight for the unborn. In his Address at the U.N, Pope Benedict reminded us that each generation has had it’s own arduous fight for justice.

“In my recent Encyclical, Spe Salvi, I indicated that “every generation has the task of engaging anew in the arduous search for the right way to order human affairs” (no. 25). For Christians, this task is motivated by the hope drawn from the saving work of Jesus Christ.”

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Saturday. Shannon Stapleton / AP

Stating that the Church is called to “proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral today Pope Benedict paid tribute to two great Pro-life leaders, Cardinal Cooke and Cardinal O’Connor.

“The Church, as “a people made one by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Spirit” (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4), is called to proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life. Here in this cathedral, our thoughts turn naturally to the heroic witness to the Gospel of life borne by the late Cardinals Cooke and O’Connor. The proclamation of life, life in abundance, must be the heart of the new evangelization. For true life - our salvation - can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gift.”

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York
Saturday, 19 April 2008

We would like to document some of the pro-life efforts of these two great men who were early and courageous defenders of the unborn.

Terence Cardinal Cooke

In a May 22, 1972 article in Time magazine, entitled, The Abortion Issue, Cardinal Cooke’s early efforts to repeal the abortion law in New York are detailed. Issuing his own letter in New York against abortion from all of the pulpits in 1972, he supported New York citizens who were fighting this law. He also published a pro-life letter that President Nixon sent to him. The letter, endorsing the repeal (pro-life) movement and calling it a “noble endeavor,” was released by the Cardinal’s office-with tacit, if not explicit, White House approval. In 1972, Terence Cardinal Cooke was one of the first to describe abortion as “slaughter of the innocent unborn”.

Cardinal Cooke’s final letter read on October 8 and 9th, 1983, the weekend after his death was a letter on the sanctity of the gift of life.

And as many of you know, his successor, Cardinal O’Connor took up the pro-life cause and became another hero for the pro-life movement.

John Cardinal O’Connor

EWTN has a wonderful tribute to Cardinal O’Connor on his death which details many of his wonderful efforts on behalf of the unborn.

1. He was committed to the right to life and showed his concern by wearing on the lapel of his black clerical suit a tiny red rose with its stem spelling out “l-i-f-e“.

2. He participated at the annual Right to Life March held in Washington, DC.

3. He formed a religious community, the Sisters of Life who are dedicated to protecting the sacredness of all human life beginning with the infant in the womb to those vulnerable to the threat of euthanasia.

4. In addition, he repeated an offer many times to any woman in need: “go to him for help rather than abort her child”. The Archdiocese of New York and Catholic charities responded by providing hundreds of women with medical assistance, housing, adoption and legal services, as well as, the Cardinal himself counseling women in difficult situations.

These are the two men whom Pope Benedict held up as authentic pro-life heroes when he called on the Church to “proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life”.

Pope Benedict is scheduled to visit U.N. headquarters on Friday to meet with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and to address the General Assembly. Archbishop Celestine Migliore, the Holy See’s U.N. observer, said the pope is coming to the U.N. as “a pilgrim of peace” to promote cultural and religious dialogue based on fundamental human rights that are non-negotiable.

In an Address given last September in Hofburg Germany Benedict said this:

“The fundamental human right, the presupposition of every other right, is the right to life itself. This is true of life from the moment of conception until its natural end. Abortion, consequently, cannot be a human right - it is the very opposite. It is “a deep wound in society”, as the late Cardinal Franz König never tired of repeating.

In stating this, I am not expressing a specifically ecclesial concern. Rather, I wish to act as an advocate for a profoundly human need, speaking out on behalf of those unborn children who have no voice. In doing so, I do not close my eyes to the difficulties and the conflicts which many women are experiencing, and I realize that the credibility of what we say also depends on what the Church herself is doing to help women in trouble.

In this context, then, I appeal to political leaders not to allow children to be considered as a form of illness…”