Bishop Vasa: Those who profess to love God, but back abortion, are liars
To paraphrase St. John: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but votes for FOCA, thus showing a disregard for his pre-born brother or sister, he is a liar.”
'I do not see how any Catholic senator or representative could vote for the passage of FOCA without recognizing that such a vote would constitute a direct and intentional declaration of their disdain for Catholic teaching. Such a vote would be tantamount to a public declaration of their intention to abandon the Catholic faith.'
PrintBEND, OR (Catholic Sentinel) — The Mass readings for the week between Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord are taken from the First Letter of St. John. These readings are not always used for it often happens, depending upon the day on which Christmas falls, that the season of ordinary time begins immediately after the celebration of Epiphany. This year, however, the occurrence of Christmas allowed for a full week between these two post-Christmas celebrations and thus the readings from St. John’s first letter. As often happens, the daily Mass readings are both appealing and challenging. The reading of Thursday from I John 4:19ff is particularly appropriate in this year when the life issues are very much on the minds of pro-life persons.
The reason for the increased awareness and even concern on the part of the pro-life community is the specter of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which is highly rumored to be in the works at the federal level. It is this act which has stimulated the bishops of the United States to launch a massive postcard campaign calling upon the House and Senate to abandon FOCA. While further details about the dramatic impact of FOCA on our American culture can be found in many places, I will simply say that it would establish abortion as a federally protected right and, as I understand it, preclude state limitation or regulation of abortion. Further, since abortion would be a federally protected right, it is very possible that even Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Physicians would be mandated to provide this heinous service.
Thus I strongly urge all who have a glimmer of concern for the lives of pre-born children to engage themselves in this postcard campaign. This is not an action which would limit or alter present permissive abortion laws, which some so-called Catholic pro-choice persons might object to, it would simply preclude a dramatic expansion of that permissiveness. Thus it would be very difficult for any Catholic, no matter how much in favor of abortion itself, to find a reason to refuse to participate in this campaign. At the same time, I do not see how any Catholic senator or representative could vote for the passage of FOCA without recognizing that such a vote would constitute a direct and intentional declaration of their disdain for Catholic teaching. Such a vote would be tantamount to a public declaration of their intention to abandon the Catholic faith. It would be imperative that the faith consequences of such a declaration be allowed to fall fully on the heads of those who would make it.
The writing from St. John applies: “Beloved, we love God because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from Him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We of the Catholic faith certainly know that love of God is central to our tenets, this is the appealing part. It is hard to imagine a Catholic saying, “I am a Catholic in good standing but I do not love God.” But the inspired scriptures tell us that whoever does not love his brother or neighbor does not and, indeed, cannot love God. This is the challenging part. The people of Jesus’ day understood this and it was this understanding that prompted them to ask, “And who is my neighbor?” For all of us, and especially for Catholic legislators in every strata of government, it is necessary to declare, in conformity with the Natural Law and the teaching of the Catholic Church that, the pre-born child is our brother, our sister, our neighbor!
It may sound a little strong to state that legislators “hate” the pre-born child but hate is an absence of love and love means to wish another well. There is nothing about abortion that wishes the pre-born child well. The preservation of abortion “rights” is already an absence of love for the pre-born child but the passage of FOCA could be construed as nothing less than active and positive disregard, even hatred, for these our brothers and sisters. To paraphrase St. John, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but votes for FOCA, thus showing a disregard for his pre-born brother or sister, he is a liar.” Lots of things can be rationalized in government but I do not see any way in which any Catholic could rationalize or justify an affirmative vote for FOCA.
It is not necessary for your postcards to be as outspoken as this bishop but you do have an obligation to participate in this concerted effort to show love for the tiniest and most defenseless of our brothers and sisters. President-elect Obama made it very clear, prior to the election, that he would happily sign FOCA and the millions of Catholics who voted for him hopefully did so for reasons other than this promise and certainly not because of it. It seems to me that it is particularly incumbent upon these same voters to make it clearly known to their representatives that their vote may not in any way be taken as a sign of support for FOCA.
Another way in which we show our affirmative love for our pre-born brothers and sisters is by way of our annual memorial on Jan. 22. This year the Diocesan Office of Pro-life Activities has scheduled a rosary and Mass at St. Joseph’s in Prineville on Thursday evening, Jan. 22. The rosary will commence at 6:30 p.m. with Mass beginning at 7 p.m. While I recognize that many parishes host similar memorial Masses to pray for the two-fold victims of abortion, the child and the mother, I invite any who can to join me at the rosary and Mass at St. Joseph’s in Prineville.
Regardless of how many years have passed since the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Decision and regardless of how prevalent and routine abortion has become in this country, the simple truth remains, it is an act of extreme violence to the pre-born child and to the distressed mother. Thus, if anyone says, “I love God” and still favors abortion, he is, to quote St. John, a liar. May we all live out faithfully what it means to love God.
-----
The Most Reverend Robert F. Vasa is the Bishop of Baker, Oregon. A long time champion of the dignity of every human person from conception to natural death he has shown himself to be a man of courage in standing for life. This editorial appeared in the Catholic Sentinel.
The reason for the increased awareness and even concern on the part of the pro-life community is the specter of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which is highly rumored to be in the works at the federal level. It is this act which has stimulated the bishops of the United States to launch a massive postcard campaign calling upon the House and Senate to abandon FOCA. While further details about the dramatic impact of FOCA on our American culture can be found in many places, I will simply say that it would establish abortion as a federally protected right and, as I understand it, preclude state limitation or regulation of abortion. Further, since abortion would be a federally protected right, it is very possible that even Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Physicians would be mandated to provide this heinous service.
Thus I strongly urge all who have a glimmer of concern for the lives of pre-born children to engage themselves in this postcard campaign. This is not an action which would limit or alter present permissive abortion laws, which some so-called Catholic pro-choice persons might object to, it would simply preclude a dramatic expansion of that permissiveness. Thus it would be very difficult for any Catholic, no matter how much in favor of abortion itself, to find a reason to refuse to participate in this campaign. At the same time, I do not see how any Catholic senator or representative could vote for the passage of FOCA without recognizing that such a vote would constitute a direct and intentional declaration of their disdain for Catholic teaching. Such a vote would be tantamount to a public declaration of their intention to abandon the Catholic faith. It would be imperative that the faith consequences of such a declaration be allowed to fall fully on the heads of those who would make it.
The writing from St. John applies: “Beloved, we love God because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from Him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We of the Catholic faith certainly know that love of God is central to our tenets, this is the appealing part. It is hard to imagine a Catholic saying, “I am a Catholic in good standing but I do not love God.” But the inspired scriptures tell us that whoever does not love his brother or neighbor does not and, indeed, cannot love God. This is the challenging part. The people of Jesus’ day understood this and it was this understanding that prompted them to ask, “And who is my neighbor?” For all of us, and especially for Catholic legislators in every strata of government, it is necessary to declare, in conformity with the Natural Law and the teaching of the Catholic Church that, the pre-born child is our brother, our sister, our neighbor!
It may sound a little strong to state that legislators “hate” the pre-born child but hate is an absence of love and love means to wish another well. There is nothing about abortion that wishes the pre-born child well. The preservation of abortion “rights” is already an absence of love for the pre-born child but the passage of FOCA could be construed as nothing less than active and positive disregard, even hatred, for these our brothers and sisters. To paraphrase St. John, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but votes for FOCA, thus showing a disregard for his pre-born brother or sister, he is a liar.” Lots of things can be rationalized in government but I do not see any way in which any Catholic could rationalize or justify an affirmative vote for FOCA.
It is not necessary for your postcards to be as outspoken as this bishop but you do have an obligation to participate in this concerted effort to show love for the tiniest and most defenseless of our brothers and sisters. President-elect Obama made it very clear, prior to the election, that he would happily sign FOCA and the millions of Catholics who voted for him hopefully did so for reasons other than this promise and certainly not because of it. It seems to me that it is particularly incumbent upon these same voters to make it clearly known to their representatives that their vote may not in any way be taken as a sign of support for FOCA.
Another way in which we show our affirmative love for our pre-born brothers and sisters is by way of our annual memorial on Jan. 22. This year the Diocesan Office of Pro-life Activities has scheduled a rosary and Mass at St. Joseph’s in Prineville on Thursday evening, Jan. 22. The rosary will commence at 6:30 p.m. with Mass beginning at 7 p.m. While I recognize that many parishes host similar memorial Masses to pray for the two-fold victims of abortion, the child and the mother, I invite any who can to join me at the rosary and Mass at St. Joseph’s in Prineville.
Regardless of how many years have passed since the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Decision and regardless of how prevalent and routine abortion has become in this country, the simple truth remains, it is an act of extreme violence to the pre-born child and to the distressed mother. Thus, if anyone says, “I love God” and still favors abortion, he is, to quote St. John, a liar. May we all live out faithfully what it means to love God.
-----
The Most Reverend Robert F. Vasa is the Bishop of Baker, Oregon. A long time champion of the dignity of every human person from conception to natural death he has shown himself to be a man of courage in standing for life. This editorial appeared in the Catholic Sentinel.
- - -
This article originally appeared in the catholic Sentinel, the Diocesan Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland,Oregon.It is used with permission.
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SHAKESPEARE ONCE SAID "A ROSE ANY
OTHER NAME IS STILL A ROSE"
WHEN PEOPLE START TO CALL ABORTION BY IT'S REAL NAME WHICH IS GENOCIDE MORE PEOPLE MIGHT WAKE UP
Just a reminder: Everyone has heard these stories.
The one about the several children born to a mother and the fact that the last child might be born lame?
I believe that child was Beethoven.
If someone had know about Einstein's dislexia and others of equal caliber do you think he should have been aborted?
Hey how about Governor Patterson of NY--he is blind do you think his mother should have been aborted?
How about the "special" children I see in my community some older than myself who got the chance to grow up because their mothers didnt abort them.
I guess we need those designer children now because its time for a new fashion trend in the pregnancy category?
Well I disagree. We start messing with genetics which doesnt belong to us either it belongs to nature and what do you think we will get for it?
When something isnt broke you dont fix it.
I read where a mother had a little boy who was born with problems--born with one eye.
She could have aborted but she didnt and she could have "put him away" but she didnt and the priest that wrote about this said she had--WISDOM.
One of its opposites? NARCISSIM, SHALLOWNESS, DESIGNER BABY, ETC. just to name a few.
You play in God's field and play with His "toys" and what answer will He give you?
HIS JUDGEMENT.
So I pray for the imperfection in this world not just the imperfect children we all are but the imperfect children who want to play with God's "toys".
AMEN AND LOVE IN CHRIST TO ALL.
So I say lets have wise counsel with science that he gave us--true pure science, natural science, but lets avoid playing with God's imperfect "toys" and play with natural "toys" or rather what God has reserved for us naturally through Him.
This is in response to lazydragonboy:
considering a life only by its estimated 'value' is a very dangerous slope. Case in point: The third reich in Germany went down that slope. Not just Jews were put in concentration camps, but all the 'undesirables': handicapped, sickly, poor gypsies, etc...
And besides, only 1% of abortions, as we all know, are truly to save the life of the mother for a medical reason. The other 99% are 'convenience' abortions. So one cannot use the argument of 'worth' on that ground either.
I have heard this argument from so many lukewarm Catholics, but it doesn't hold up. Rather, it IS condoning abortion to have voted for such a president. I support all those good things, too, but the hundreds of thousands of murders of total innocents going on regularly clearly outpaces all these other issues.
Do you think the issue of guns or the poor being ripped off are really more important? That these far lesser goods could truly tip the scales in his favor?
I also think that there are some pro-choice people who do have an inkling of just what it is they support. The fact that they call it a 'tragedy' speaks volumes. If you ever hear someone pro-choice say this, ask them exactly, in their mind, what causes it to be a tragedy.
GOD has not called us to sit in our seats and do nothing but to get the word out, It is up to all of us to help stop abortion so lets come together all religions,races,cultures,and stop abortion once and for all.
This is in responce to Ed Burke I am sorry for your abence of love for a child GOD said in Jeremiah 1;5 Before I formed you in the wound I knew you. also GOD said 1John4;21 He who loves GOD must love his brother also. If GOD knows this baby in the wound he is your brother or sister I pray for you to understand this is a life so if you love GOD then you must love your brother.
Condemning President Barack Obama because unlike Catholics he does not clearly see that an unborn fetus is in fact fully a life and God given soul only serves to drive away many Christians who might otherwise be willing to listen and learn from us.
It is NOT condoning abortion to SUPPORT a President who is
Against Unnecessary Pre-Emptive War, like Iraq, and is
Against War Profiteering, and is Against America using Torture, and is
Against the creation of an American Gulag, and is
Against victimizing the Poor to benefit the rich, and is
Against allowing Americans to own weapons of war, like Assault Rifles with large magazines filled with many bullets and thinks that 'Welfare' is for people not Large profit making Corporations and those who run them to line their pockets and is
Against turning the U.S. Dept. of Justice into a campaign tool to invent prosecutions against political opponents who have not broken the law . . .
despite his 'BELIEF' mistaken as it may be, that abortions are not murder. The catholic Church needs to pray for the wisdom to be able to prove their case to a world folled with such people who are good, decent Christians only lacking the certainty about this issue that we catholics possess.
Supporting the political opponent who is FOR all the un-Christian things that Obama opposes is hardly a Christian exercise in good judgement. I would have thought our church could survey the damage left in the wake of the 8 years of the President they supported, and see the world as it truly exists. Making this a black and white political choice is hardly serving our Lord well when the support we give creates such death and human misery.
Thank you Bishop Vasa for standing up against this disgusting portrayal of a President. To declare his love for Christ and two weeks later become the primary advocate for abortion /late term etc. is disgusting!!!!
Dear Pro-life people,
Check out http://www.consistent-life.org/.
May GOD Be Praised By All, Everywhere, At All Times!
May GOD grant the same courage to other Bishops also.
I trust Lazydragonboy would understand the value of life - can you judge the value of one life over the other? What are the metrics - who determines the same?
The one who can make a choice (the mother), should make the more heroic choice (placing other lives above one's own), else we will soon be an in-human society, as a part has already become - unable to sense logic - maybe we've been infected by leprosy - unable to feel the difference - too numb to feel the pain.
Infact, even animal society would abhor some of the things we do, we the more 'intelligent' ones. Maybe our intelligence has led us to believe that there is nothing beyond intelligence and thats why GOD will show us that our intelligence is not the highest determinant (scale) by which we measure success/ life/ value of life. There is inherent value.
GOD Bless!