It's a life time

Pro-life Catholics have a lot to think about. On January 22, they will mark the 33rd anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. It remains a decision that puzzles many legal scholars, outrages those committed to protecting innocent life and may be poised for reversal, given two recent appointments to the Court.

Meanwhile, last week, a representative of the American bishops issued a statement on the war in Iraq (see opposite page). While not calling for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops, the bishop insisted that America remain in that country no longer than necessary and make it clear to Iraqis that it is their responsibility to take control of their own fate as soon as possible.

At the same time, capital punishment is under assault. The U.S. bishops have repeatedly called for its abolition, most recently at their November meeting. DNA studies have found more and more innocent people on death row for crimes they didn't commit. Several governors, courts and state legislatures have wrestled with the issue, and their decisions trend toward ending executions.

This week's celebration of the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us of other issues related to the dignity of human life, such as equality for all races and economic justice.

Finally, the recent revelations that a South Korean researcher faked his findings on stem cells and cloning have inserted those issues once again into the news.

Their commitment to respecting life in all of its stages means that Catholics have to educate themselves on all of these topics. They must also work to end abortion and capital punishment; offer alternatives to international war and, on a micro-level, conflict in their own homes; and stop "advances" in biology that kill more than cure.

It's a full agenda, and pro-lifers can judge from their own interests and talents where their efforts will bear the most fruit. But one option is not acceptable: doing nothing at all when life is on the line.

(1/19/06) [[In-content Ad]]