Editorial

As one of his first public acts as the new bishop of Madison, Bishop Robert C. Morlino prayed the rosary at an abortion clinic located across the street from St. Raphael Cathedral in downtown Madison on Aug. 22. He plans to lead the rosary there about once a month.

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By his presence, Bishop Morlino witnessed to the power of prayer in the battle for life. He emphasized in his homily during a Mass at the cathedral preceding the rosary, "The best thing we can do as Catholics is prayer. It should be clear that we're praying for our neighbors," he said.

Bishop Morlino admitted that people in the pro-life movement often march with placards and confront their opponents. "That moves us into the political zone," he said. "That's not what we're doing today."

Pray for them. Instead, he encouraged people to pray for the preborn babies, for their mothers, and even for those who perform abortions. "Pray for them with love and respect," said the bishop. "It's easy to be hostile and hateful. But the love of Christ never gives way to hatred and hostility. We love those who promote error and do what we can to correct the error."

Although political action and demonstrations may be appropriate at other times, Bishop Morlino was clearly urging Catholics to use the best "weapon" they have at their disposal to fight for life: prayer. And by praying the rosary, he is calling upon the intercession of Mary to plead for the cause of life with her son, Jesus.

We must remember that Mary herself was an "unwed mother." So Mary would especially sympathize with women involved in unplanned pregnancies. The "Hail Mary" is a perfect prayer for women and their unborn babies.

Power of prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part Four) includes some marvelous passages on the power of prayer. The Catechism points out that in teaching his followers how to pray, Jesus insists on their first having a conversion of heart: reconciliation with one's brother before presenting an offering on the altar, love of enemies, and prayer for persecutors.

Once we are committed to conversion, we learn to pray in faith. Jesus tells us to "seek" and to "knock," since he himself is the door and the way. Jesus hears our prayers and responds (although we don't always know how our prayers are answered).

Signs of hope. In Wisconsin, there are signs of hope that our prayers are being answered. A recent report from the state Department of Health and Family Services reveals that the number of abortions continues to decrease. In 2002 (the most recent reported year), 10,489 abortions were performed. That is a 52 percent decrease from the peak year of 1980 and the lowest ever recorded.

Although there are fewer abortions, it is still too many. I encourage people to join with Bishop Morlino in praying the rosary at the abortion clinic and in other prayers for life. Through the intercession of Mary, God will hear our prayers and bring victory for the cause of life.

Mary C. Uhler