Where are the Priests and Deacons with Courage?
We were talking tonight about the dearth of local Church support for the 40 Days for Life campaign or, more importantly, for pro-life efforts in general in the Diocese of Rochester.
Yes, there are a few priests and deacons who do provide some support. My own pastor has spoken about 40 Days, and posted articles in the bulletin about it.
But when was the last time a priest or deacon got up and really preached about abortion? Talked about the emotional effects? Talked about the increased chances of breast cancer? Talked about the broken relationships? Talked about the lost lives?
Yes, there may be some pastoral concern about causing pain to the many women sitting in the pews who did have abortions. (There may also be fear of watching attendance and contributions drop at first - hopefully that is not the motivation for silence.)
But maybe some of those women - and men - need to hear the truth so that they face what they have done, and then seek the healing and forgiveness they need.
There is help out there for those living victims of abortion. There is forgiveness waiting. There is God's love ready to bathe them.
They only need to open their eyes and hearts and minds.
And priests and deacons who speak out can help to get them started.
Where are those priests and deacons with courage?
Yes, there are a few priests and deacons who do provide some support. My own pastor has spoken about 40 Days, and posted articles in the bulletin about it.
But when was the last time a priest or deacon got up and really preached about abortion? Talked about the emotional effects? Talked about the increased chances of breast cancer? Talked about the broken relationships? Talked about the lost lives?
Yes, there may be some pastoral concern about causing pain to the many women sitting in the pews who did have abortions. (There may also be fear of watching attendance and contributions drop at first - hopefully that is not the motivation for silence.)
But maybe some of those women - and men - need to hear the truth so that they face what they have done, and then seek the healing and forgiveness they need.
There is help out there for those living victims of abortion. There is forgiveness waiting. There is God's love ready to bathe them.
They only need to open their eyes and hearts and minds.
And priests and deacons who speak out can help to get them started.
Where are those priests and deacons with courage?
posted by A Secular Franciscan | 9:03 PM
6 Comments:
Hard for many of these priests to preach about a cause they do not believe in.
Dr. K. - While there may be some who do not believe, I suspect more likely reasons are fear of saying anything controversial, fear of rocking the boat and getting flack, fear of hurting some women who have had abortions, and, maybe in a few cases even fear of losing parishiners and lowered plate collections.
I also wonder about some priest who do sometimes say things, but who never do anything. I'd love to see a few priests and deacons out there at 40 Days for Life, or more of them taking part in the annual Good Friday march.
perhaps it's fear that they'll face retribution because this is a cause some folks at buffalo road don't believe in...
I think you're being unfair, abaccio. Bishop Clark, for one, is pro-life. I've seen his at a pro-life prayer service, for example. He joined the other bishops of New York in issuing a statement saying in effect Catholics should not vote for candidates who support abortion (Cuomo, Duffy, Gillibrand, etc). And there are priests and deacons who have taken part in the Good Friday stations for life without fear of retribution.
and yet he's yet to go down to the March for life, instead hosting interfaith events at OUR Cathedral in which the name of Christ is never mentioned...
I've never made it to the March for Life - but I'm a staunch pro-lifer.
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