Fr. Frank Pavone on October, Our Lady of Victory, and Respect Life

I have often said that it is the church, the living Body of Christ, that will win the battle over abortion.

In the year 1571, Pope Pius V led a procession and exhorted Christians to pray the rosary under the threat of Islamic invasion by Ottoman Turks. The Christian forces won, and the tides changed in the famous Battle of Lepanto. There are great parallels to defeating the invading powers of darkness at Lepanto and defeating the invading culture of death today. And it is not by accident that we commit to fighting against abortion during the month of October, designated in many places as Respect Life Month.

COCOA, Fl. (Priests for Life) - In the year 1571, Pope Pius V led a procession and exhorted Christians to pray the rosary under the threat of Islamic invasion by Ottoman Turks. The Christian forces won, and the tides changed in the famous Battle of Lepanto.

The Turks were defeated and Pope Pius V declared Oct. 7 as the feast of Our Lady of Victory.

The title Our Lady of Victory fell out of favor and was eventually changed to Our Lady of the Rosary. But ‽victory" is still fitting.

There are great parallels to defeating the invading powers of darkness at Lepanto and defeating the invading culture of death today. And it is not by accident that we commit to fighting against abortion during the month of October, designated in many places as Respect Life Month.

I have often said that it is the church, the living Body of Christ, that will win the battle over abortion.

The Church is key in this fight because she is equipped with the Word of God and all the means of grace working through the faithful. In fact, those who are most likely to be responsive to the needs of the children in the womb are precisely those who sit in the pews each Sunday, being formed by the Word of God and the Eucharist, which call and empower them to change the world.

And since this is the case, the task falls in a particular way to the clergy to feed their flock and send them on the mission that the Lord himself assigns to them.

One way of doing this is explicit prayer directed towards building a culture of life. In this regard, section IV of the US Bishops' Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities,A Campaign in Support of Life (November, 2001) states,

"Parishes should include in the petitions at every Mass a prayer that ours will become a nation that respects and protects all human life, born and unborn, reflecting a true culture of life."

It is not only important that every parish include pro-life petitions at every mass, but that the parish also equips its people to take action to achieve that for which they pray. The parish that prays to end abortion should be equipped to help people find alternatives to abortion.

National hotlines like the Option Line (1-800-712-HELP; PregnancyCenters.org) -- at which people can find alternatives to abortion closest to where they live -- should have a permanent place on every parish bulletin and website. This number and website can also direct people to healing after abortion.

Assisting clergy to equip their people in this way is the principal mission of Priests for Life.

During this Respect Life Month, we're asking clergy to turn up the volume. Make sure that there's not a person in the parish who does not know where to turn for alternatives to abortion and healing after abortion. And have them spread that good news throughout the community!

Moreover, to assist the preaching of the clergy on this topic, Priests for Life is highlighting this month the book Proclaiming the Message of Life.

In this book I have outlined the pro-life themes found in the liturgical readings for every Sunday of the year, during all three cycles of the lectionary. Homily hints, bulletin inserts, and General Intercessions are also available via email and our special website PreachingOnAbortion.com.

"The gates of hell will not prevail" against the Church. The Church is the only institution with a Divine guarantee of victory over the culture of death.

God has equipped us and reassured us. It only remains for us to act. Let this Respect Life month be a new starting point for the Church to bring an end to abortion once and for all.

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Fr. Frank Pavone is the National Director of Priests for Life

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