A special appeal from Bishop Blair |
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Written by Bishop Leonard P. Blair
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Friday, 06 February 2009 01:00 |
I trust that by now all parishes have made known to their people the postcard campaign being waged by the bishops of the United States, together with other pro-life groups, to fight the so-called "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA).
Why are we obliged to speak up?
FOCA is a radical piece of legislation. It creates a ìfundamental rightî to abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy. No governmental body at any level would be able to ìdeny or interfere withî this right, or to ìdiscriminateî against the exercise of this right ìin the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.î For the first time, abortion would become an entitlement the government must condone and promote.
FOCA would go well beyond the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in imposing an extreme abortion regimen on our country. No other piece of legislation would have such a destructive impact on society’s ability to limit or regulate abortion.
FOCA would eliminate a broad range of laws — informed consent laws; parental involvement laws; laws promoting maternal health; abortion clinic regulations; government programs and facilities that pay for or promote childbirth and other health care without subsidizing abortion; conscience protection laws; laws prohibiting a particular abortion procedure (e.g., partial birth abortion); laws requiring abortions only be performed by a licensed physician; and so on.
No one who believes what the church teaches about the right to life could possibly support this legislation or want to remain silent in the face of such an immoral onslaught against innocent unborn life.
In the spirit of my column in today’s Chronicle, I appeal to you and urge you, if you have not already done so, send your legislators the postcards enclosed in today’s edition.
I also ask your prayers for our country, that we will be delivered from the scourge of abortion and other grave sins against life.
Thank you. May God bless you for your cooperation in this campaign.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:12 |
