Archbishop Chaput: Planned Parenthood Offends Minorities

"Planned Parenthood is the largest single provider of abortion and family suppression services in the United States".

DENVER, Colorado (Zenit) - A new Planned Parenthood clinic in a minority neighborhood of Denver should be taken as an offense, affirmed the archbishop of the city.

Archbishop Charles Chaput said this at a prayer vigil and march at the site of Planned Parenthood's new clinic in a primarily Latino and African-American suburb of Denver.

The archbishop was joined by a niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., Alveda King; Reverend Willard Johnson, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church; and Denver's Auxiliary Bishop James Conley.

"Here in America, and especially here tonight, we need to remember two basic truths," Archbishop Chaput said."Here's the first truth," he said. "Society has an obligation -- and Christians have a Gospel duty -- to provide adequate and compassionate support for unwed and abandoned mothers; women facing unintended pregnancies; and women struggling with the aftermath of an abortion. It's not enough to talk about 'pro-life politics.' The label 'pro-life' demands that we work to ensure social policies that will protect young woman and families, and help them generously in their need. [...]

"Here's the second truth. Killing an unborn child is never the right answer to a woman's or society's problems. Acts of violence create a culture of violence -- and abortion is the most intimate form of violence there is. It wounds the woman, it kills the unborn child and it poisons the roots of justice and charity that bind us all into one human family."

Subtracting lives

The archbishop said the location of the Planned Parenthood clinic should be considered an offense."Planned Parenthood is the largest single provider of abortion and family suppression services in the United States," he explained. "This facility in this minority neighborhood should offend every African-American and Latino family, and all of us, because every child lost to abortion here subtracts one more life, one more universe of possibilities and talent, from the future of this community. [...] The business of Planned Parenthood is the prevention of the future -- and business is good, and very profitable, at the expense of this community."

The vigil and march gathered about 3,000 participants.When King addressed the group, she affirmed that abortion is not a partisan issue and that she would not vote for the Democratic presidential candidate unless he changes his views on abortion before November.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremonies of the Democratic National Convention were under way in Denver. The draft of the 2008 Democratic National Platform states: "The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right."