Catholic and secular leaders spoke at a major pro-life conference at Columbus School of Law at Catholic University in Washington last week, drawing more than 350 activists from around the country.

Entitled "In God's Image: Called to Build a Culture of Life," the three-day event brought together diocesan, state and national pro-life leaders. They heard presentations on abortion, physician assisted suicide and such new reproductive technologies as cloning and stem cell research.

The conference was sponsored by the Committee for Pro-Life Activities of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pontifical Council for the Family.  As a result, six cardinals, five other bishops, many priests and representatives of the Sisters of Life also attended.

Everyone was clearly moved when a letter from Pope John Paul II was read at the beginning.  In a four page statement to Cardinal William Keeler, the archbishop of Baltimore, the Holy Father challenged the tenets of modernism and encouraged proselytizing for life.

"At the end of the 20th century we are witnessing a strange paradox: the sanctity of human life is being denied by an appeal to freedom, democracy, pluralism, even reason and compassion," he wrote.  "The language of human rights is constantly invoked while the most basic of them -- the right to life -- is repeatedly disregarded."

He told the group, "Your action needs to be both educational and political.  There must be a thorough catechesis on the Gospel of Life at all levels of the Catholic community.  Catholics imbibe much of their surrounding culture, and therefore this catechesis needs to challenge the prevailing culture at those points where human dignity and rights are threatened."

And, in pointed terms, he added, "The choice in favor of life is not a private option but a basic demand of a just and moral society.  The pro-life concern must be present in every aspect of the Church's pastoral activity."

Such language was reinforced by several American Catholic leaders, most notably Cardinal John O'Connor of New York, who gave the keynote address and Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, whose speech, "People of Life: Entering the New Millennium," ended the program.

Cardinal O'Connor raised several points that he made at a fundraiser for A Woman's Choice, a crisis pregnancy center, in Fairfax last April.  He discussed the Sisters of Life, the contemplative and apostolate order he founded in 1991.  He also mentioned his archdiocesan program to assist pregnant women who need medical, legal and other help.

At this conference, however, the cardinal also emphasized that "in our society, the law has become our great teacher.  The law says it is all right to kill infants, the feeble, the dying.  The law says we will pay you to do it."

Sadly, he continued, "everyone has become god: governments, legislators, judges and all sorts of legislators have become gods.  God is life.  All life comes from Him.  All life comes from God, who is life."

In addition to encouraging the pro-lifers to continue their work on all fronts, he recognized them for their devotion.  "You have my admiration, my gratitude, my very deep love.  It's an honor to be with you," he said.

Cardinal George also gave a riveting talk.  "Disasters," he said, "bring the good together because some evil has happened.  And connecting good people to one another is a way to face this evil.  In that, a common bond is created which sustains us in our work."

He focused on the disaster of abortion.  Referring to the 1995 papal encyclical "Evangelium Vitae,"  the cardinal said, "We are facing an enormous and dramatic clash, between good and evil, life and death, the culture of life and the culture of death."

He characterized the pro-abortion ethos: "No life, no life at all has intrinsic value simply because it is a human life.  A person's worth finally depends on his or her being wanted by someone with greater power, greater physical ability or greater financial status."

As did others, Cardinal George encouraged pro-lifers to work on all fronts and not be intimidated by a fear of "imposing" their beliefs on others.  He cited the memorable statement of Mother Teresa that God "doesn't call us to succeed.  He only asks us to be faithful."

More than a dozen prominent pro-life leaders gave updates on the status of international family planning, abortion and the women's movement, end-of-life issues and Catholic teaching on artificial fertility methods.

Each talk or panel gave conference attendees way to understand dealing with adversaries who promote the culture of death.  Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, a noted historian, talked about radical feminist myths.  She said, "Opposition to abortion is pro-woman; support for abortion is anti-woman.  Abortion begets more abortions and greater, unhappiness for women."

Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute in Front Royal, discussed the myth of world overpopulation.  He stressed the real problem is under-population; 16 countries in Europe, for example, are actually losing population.  According to Mosher, increasing under-population, wrought by family planners, will have huge social and economic implications.

The executive director of the International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force, Rita Marker, described physican-assisted in Oregon -- the only jurisdiction in the world which sanctions such death -- and in certain countries where it is tolerated.  Dr. Eric Chevlen, a Youngstown, Ohio, physician, discussed his efforts to help terminally ill patients resist suicide.

Cardinal Bernard Law, archbishop of Boston, put the issue of death and dying in a Catholic perspective.  "Death itself," he noted, "is not the ultimate evil to be avoided at all costs."  While supporting pain control and compassion, he stressed that for Catholics "suffering is not without meaning for us."

These and other discussion helped to provide some practical guidelines for those working on life issues.  As such, the conference followed up on the document "Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics," which the nation's bishops adopted last November.

A number of representatives from the Arlington Diocese attended.  Robert Laird, assistant director of the Diocese's Office for Family Life, called the meetings unifying and motivating.  He said he learned that "we've got to be pro-active.  We can't wait for laws to be passed or for crises to occur.  We need to identify issues before they happen."

Kenneth Whitehead, a writer and long-time pro-life advocate from Falls Church, Virginia said, "The value of this conference is principally to bring together those who are working on the front lines and urge them to stick together.  Now they're energized and inspired.  I know that I am."

Non Catholics also attended.  One from northern Virginia was Robert Morrison, a Lutheran and a senior policy official with the Family Research Council.

"I've been in the pro-life movement for over 20 years," said Morrison.  "I agree with Cardinal O'Connor that we make a mistake in framing our arguments when we forget to say that God lives and that He wants all of us to live a full and abundant life."

Esposito, who lives in Springfield, Virginia, writes on religion, public policy and history.
 

Send a pro life letter (letter is preferable) or an email to your  Senators and representatives using the Directory at the Congressional Email Directory.  Point and click here to surf to their web site.

Copyright ©1999 Arlington Catholic Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

This article was published in the Arlington Catholic Herald,
200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 607, Arlington, VA 22203; Vol. 24, No 10;
page 1, dated Mar 11, 1999.
E-mail: letters@catholicherald.com
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A note from the Web Master:

It is noteworthy and honorable that some folks are willing to stand up for a ban on Partial-Birth Abortion.  Let us not forget that ordinary everyday run of the mill abortion is also murder.  We must understand that murder is murder no matter the method.  Because one method of abortion seems to be horrible does not make the other methods less so.  We should be horrified and sickened by any abortion regardless of the method.  The Fifth Commandment spells it out clearly:

"Thou shalt not kill."

A fetus is a person, a human being with a God given soul.  Imagine the pain the Lord must feel when any abortion occurs.  Please contact both of your Senators and Representative, via letter or phone,  to let them know how horrified you are that abortions are legal and to stop Partial-Birth abortions and all other abortions as soon as possible.

(It has become apparent that they do not respond to email therefore you will have more of an impact by writing or telephoning.)

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