Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Traditionally, the later part of January is when the Annual March for Life occurs. This has always been so as to coincide with the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade. If you’ve never participated in the March down in Washington, D.C., I assure you, it’s an impressive event; filling the streets from the National Mall to the Capitol building with thousands upon thousands of marchers. But this past week, there was a more local March for Life held right in Trenton.
Why the switch in time and venue? Well, first of all, the national March for Life is still scheduled to occur in late January in Washington, D.C. But in more recent times, there’s been a decided trend towards getting the efforts of the pro-life movement to be more locally focused. That’s not to say that there aren’t already local efforts; indeed, many volunteers take turns each day at our local abortion clinic in Cherry Hill praying the rosary for the women and children who visit it. This has been happening for years. But to put some more attention at the state level, which the most recent NJ March for Life aimed to do, is quite worthwhile.
Without getting too deep into the politics and the moral ramifications of abortion, the reality is, many of the most pressing issues are not a national, but state-wide level. As much as there are 50 states in our union, there are also 50 different sets of laws and regulations surrounding the issue of abortion. My letter in the bulletin is not going to change the hearts and minds of anyone reading it, nor is it attempting to. But by bringing up this local effort, I hope to highlight where the pro-life movement is currently focusing more attention.
New Jersey is considered to be one of the most progressive states in the country on the issue of abortion. We’re one of seven states in the country that has no restriction on abortion according to gestation period. This means that an abortion can occur from as early as possible and as late as possible, and anytime in-between. Some will argue that having such wide access is as it should be; others will argue for a much greater restriction and even ban on abortions all together. It can be a deeply divisive issue and one that many are passionate about.
Let me affirm that the Church teaches that abortion is a clear moral evil. But as grievous as the willful destruction of human life is, even and especially in the embryonic stage, there’s a multitude of other evils within abortion as well, from what it does to those procuring them, to the often horrific circumstances that lead to someone to get one. And our state authorities need to know that we want to see action taken to prevent further harm happening due to abortion. If not, how will things ever change?
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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