Tag: abortion

On
Fr. Donald Lange

Supporting the rights of the unborn

When I taught religion at Beloit Catholic High, I invited pro-life speakers to give talks. I especially remember a pro-life doctor who described the tragedy of aborted babies. During his talk, he wept. Each tear convinced us that he truly believed that unborn babies were persons. Aborting them was destroying human lives.

Tears flowed from the eyes and hearts of committed pro-lifers when on January 22, 1973 in the Roe v. Wade decision the Supreme Court legalized abortion. Their ruling made it legal for mothers to abort their unborn baby.

The Church position on life

In no. 2270 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church it says, “From the first moment of existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person . . . among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” The Church’s position, which recognizes the individual as human from conception until death, is supported by natural law.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Masterpieces of God’s creation: Every life deserves respect, including children with Down syndrome

respect life poster

Perhaps one of the saddest things I’ve heard in recent memory is what atheist Richard Dawkins said about children with Down syndrome.

On Twitter in August, Dawkins said that an unborn baby with Down syndrome should be aborted and that it would be “immoral to bring it into the world.”

Dawkins was debating this issue with some of his one million Twitter followers. When one of his followers tweeted, “I honestly don’t know what I would do if I were pregnant with a kid with Down’s syndrome. Real ethical dilemma,” Dawkins replied, “Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice.”

I first heard about Dawkins’ remarks on Facebook from someone I know who has a son with Down syndrome. She was horrified by what Dawkins said, since her son is a wonderful person and an important part of her family.

After delving into this matter further, I found some information about Down syndrome and what has been happening with the screening of pregnant women. I feel more people should be aware of these issues and talk about them with their family members and friends.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Sauk City parish joins 40 Days for Life efforts

SAUK CITY — Divine Mercy Parish is joining with volunteer efforts in Madison and around the world by involving students and parishioners in pro-life opportunities during 40 Days for Life.

From September 24 to November 2, Madison and surrounding communities are uniting with hundreds of locations across America, as well as other countries, for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history — the international 40 Days for Life campaign.

 

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Correcting each other in a ‘loving’ way

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

I pray that you’ve all had a restful summer . . . as it seems, sadly, that we’re coming very quickly upon its last days! For myself, I’m maintaining hope that the winter is mild. I know that such a hope might be foolish — but I’m a man of hope, nonetheless!

In considering the readings of this past Sunday, I think it’s very important that we reflect together, once again, on the theme of fraternal correction — which is what the first (Ez 33:7-9) and the third (Mt 18:15-20) readings were about.

Fraternal correction is the way we correct one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We do so not in arrogance, nor in contempt, but with love. Fraternal correction in the Church is a service of love.

In our day and age, nobody wants to correct anybody (unless perhaps it’s anonymously, of someone we don’t know, and in an online forum — which is certainly not charitable correction). To correct someone directly, someone whom we actually know, requires us to make claims about right and wrong, and about what is good and evil. Nobody wants to do that because, “you have your own truth and I have my own truth and we just peacefully coexist and it’s all just wonderful!” . . . except that it’s not. It’s a confused world.

In this confused world, it’s politically incorrect to correct anyone for anything! For instance, you even have to be careful, lest you say that ISIS is a group of extremist Islamic terrorists, who are absolutely wrong. Now, that’s obviously true, but some can’t say that. Because, after all, “we simply don’t see the world as ISIS does. They have their own truth, so we have to be polite when we deal with them.” . . . Just as I’m sure they are polite when they are beheading people.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Plan 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign

MADISON — It’s time to start planning for the 40 Days for Life 2014 Fall Campaign.

“Vigil for Life is pleased to report that since last year’s 40 Days for Life prayer vigil campaign, God has blessed us with many graces by changing hearts and minds and by saving lives,” said Gwen Finnegan, director of Vigil for Life-Madison.

“Through our daily peaceful and prayerful presence and with God’s grace, we have been able to send many women over to the Women’s Care Center, where they are given the support needed to choose life for their baby. We are seeing the fruits of our labor due to sacrifice and God’s guiding hand.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Plan 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign

MADISON — It’s time to start planning for the 40 Days for Life 2014 Fall Campaign.

“Vigil for Life is pleased to report that since last year’s 40 Days for Life prayer vigil campaign, God has blessed us with many graces by changing hearts and minds and by saving lives,” said Gwen Finnegan, director of Vigil for Life-Madison.

“Through our daily peaceful and prayerful presence and with God’s grace, we have been able to send many women over to the Women’s Care Center, where they are given the support needed to choose life for their baby. We are seeing the fruits of our labor due to sacrifice and God’s guiding hand.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Get rid of buffer zone: City of Madison should listen to the Supreme Court

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

On February 25 of this year, the Madison city council passed a new ordinance requiring a 160-foot “buffer zone” around any healthcare clinic in the city.

A modified version of the ordinance was passed in March, narrowing the zone to 100 feet from a medical facility’s entrance and 30 feet from its driveway.

This ordinance was proposed primarily in response to the presence of pro-life “sidewalk counselors” who have kept up a regular presence outside the Planned Parenthood Clinic on Madison’s east side for 10 years.

Supreme Court rules against buffer zones

The Madison ordinance could now be in jeopardy after the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling on June 26 that struck down buffer zones at abortion clinics. The Supreme Court decision reversed an appellate court decision upholding a 2007 Massachusetts law that made it a crime for anyone other than clinic workers to stand within 35 feet from the entrances of Planned Parenthood clinics in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester, Mass.

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