Archbishop Miller, Pt. II: Building a Culture of Life

As a Catholic Christian and pastor of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, I believe the pro-life movement can be increasingly effective in the years to come.

Vancouver, BC (The B.C. Catholic) - As a Catholic Christian and pastor of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, I believe the pro-life movement can be increasingly effective in the years to come; here are a few reflections on how.

Certainly the list is not exhaustive, and I have previously mentioned the need to be concerned about the political and legal dimensions involved in fostering a culture of life.

However there are other instruments in our arsenal which must also be used in the pro-life movement is to maintain its energy and become even more vigorous in the years ahead.

First of all, we can never stop praying for the cause of life. It is a constant and consistent discipline for many Christians, Catholic and Protestant, on behalf of those who have no voice. This vigil of prayer must be extended to the often complacent believers who have given little more than lip service to their belief in the cause of life.

We must now adopt all the weapons of spiritual warfare, offering prayers not only for the direct perpetrators of attacks on human life but also for elected officials: that hearts will be converted to love for life.

Prayer must be accompanied by penance and sacrifice. Now is the time to take seriously praying the Rosary, making novenas, and initiating our own daily discipline of personal prayer on behalf of the unborn and for the conversion of our society from a culture of death to a culture of life.

We are filled with the certainty that we can rely on the help of God, for Whom nothing is impossible. In the words of Pope John Paul the Great: "A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer."

The Pope added, "Let us therefore discover anew the humility and the courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will break down the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal from the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters the evil of practices and laws which are hostile to life."

Second, the pro-life movement will be increasingly effective to the extent that it fosters "a contemplative outlook" on life, one opposed to the pragmatism which is smothering and limiting us. This contemplative outlook entails the appreciation of every human life as a "wonder" created by God.

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In the words of Evangelium Vitae, "It is the outlook of those who do not presume to take possession of reality but instead accept it as a gift."

Whenever individuals cultivate an attitude of religious awe before the mystery of life, they are drawn to honour the face of Christ in everyone.

Pope Benedict also maintains that before we can consider active initiatives on behalf of life, "it is fundamental to foster a correct attitude towards the other: the culture of life is in fact based on attention to others without any forms of exclusion or discrimination. Every human life, as such, deserves and demands always to be defended and promoted."

The "no" which the Church pronounces in her moral directives, on which public opinion sometimes unilaterally focuses, is in fact a great "yes" to the dignity of the human person, to human life, and to the person's capacity to love. It is an expression of the constant trust with which, despite their frailty, people are able to respond to the loftiest vocation for which they are created: the vocation to love.

A third contribution of the Catholic Church to making the pro-life movement more effective is to follow the example of her Divine Teacher, in preaching mercy especially to those men and women who, having perpetrated these acts, stained by sin and wounded within, are seeking peace and the chance to begin anew.

The Church's duty is to approach these people with love and consideration, with caring and motherly attention, to proclaim the merciful closeness of God in Jesus Christ. A converted heart is a great triumph for the cause of life.

"The Gospel of love and life is also always the Gospel of mercy, which is addressed to the sinner." The Servant of God John Paul II said in inaugurating the new Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow: "Apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind."

Pro-lifers are merciful, as is our heavenly Father. The initiatives and programs now in place to help women who have had an abortion testify eloquently to this.

Although what has been done remains a grave injustice, all pro-lifers can repeat to women who have had an abortion the tender words of Pope John Paul: "Do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance.

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The Father of Mercies is ready to give you His forgiveness and His peace in the sacrament of reconciliation. To the same Father and His mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child."

This column was taken from a talk given to North Shore Pro-Life. Next week, Pt III

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This article appeared in The B.C. Catholic, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and is used with permission.