January 22, 1992 This year on January 22, 1992 we finally begin to see hopeful signs in the effort to protect the lives of unborn children. The struggle has been long and difficult, yet as the psalmist proclaims:
Whatever the excesses of todays world, advocacy for the weak and oppressed, especially the unborn, is truly the Lord's work. There lies our hope. The reversal of Roe v. Wade is the single most important step needed to begin restoring protection for these, our unborn sisters and brothers. We hope and pray that the Supreme Court will continue in its apparent process of dismantling it. Roe v. Wade is far more radical than most people in this country realize even today. For example, the Supreme Court in Roe expressly permits abortion in the last stages of pregnancy, right up until the time of birth, so long as it is deemed by any doctor to be "necessary, in appropriate medical judgement, for the preservation of the life or health of the mother." A mother's health was very broadly defined in a companion case decided the same day, Doe v. Bolton: "The medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors - physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health. This allows the attending physician the room he needs to make his best medical judgment. And it is room that operates for the benefit, not the disadvantage, of the pregnant woman." We in Florida have to face a harsh reality. The Florida Supreme Court has embraced Roe v. Wade and made it part of the Constitutional law of Florida by its equally radical decision in the case of In Re: T.W. That ruling has to be reversed, a major undertaking facing the pro-life community in Florida. Florida has a greater task ahead of it than does most of the rest of the country. But while court decisions teach powerfully, they are not the main determinant of human behavior. It is the hearts and minds of all of society that must be changed, at the same time that we work for changes in the law. We are continually heartened by the outpourings of support for the unborn child in churches and communities throughout Florida. The pro-life community is alive and growing, as exhibited in the Life Chain turnout in October, in diocesan and parish pro-life committees and offices, and especially in volunteer efforts and contributions to assist pregnant women and their children during pregnancy and after childbirth. The growing ministry to women who have had abortions and those involved in abortions is inspiring. In the political sphere, pro-life leaders on the national level are to be applauded for their efforts in stopping attempts by pro-abortion legislators to fund the killing of unborn children; to restore funding for compulsory abortion programs by the Government of China; to transfer funding to international organizations that commit abortions in Third World countries; and most recently to fund clinic programs that provide abortion counseling and referrals. Pro-life leaders on the state and local level continue to speak out in the face of vehement opposition and adverse court opinions. They are entitled to our support and prayers. We do not endorse or support political candidates for election, and this reference to office holders is not a political endorsement. It is, however, a public acknowledgement of the stalwart work in the defense of unborn babies that these people have performed in the face of political risk and abuse. Our prayers are with all of those who work for and support the right to life of the unborn child. May we also continue to pray for abortionists, their supporters, and especially those in Congress and at other levels of public life who support legalized abortion, or who yield to threats of retaliation and do nothing to protect, these, the least of our sisters and brothers. Edward A. McCarthy John J. Snyder J. Keith Symons John J. Nevins John C. Favalora Norbert M. Dorsey John M. Smith Agustin A. Roman |