Friday, April 01, 2005
PRIESTS AGAINST EUTHANASIA
Associated Press Writer Bobby Ross Jr. reports a new order of priests being formed:
A priest who comforted Terri Schiavo's parents and siblings says he's starting the Roman Catholic Church's first society of priests devoted exclusively to "the Gospel of Life," fighting against euthanasia and abortion.
The Diocese of Amarillo will provide a vacant Catholic high school and dormitory to house the male-only Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, the society founded by the Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.
"I have long been convinced that God is raising up numerous disciples ready to devote their entire lives to ending the tragedy of abortion, which the bishops have identified as the 'fundamental human rights issue of the day,'" Pavone said in a statement. "I have no doubt that we will see a tremendous and immediate response to this initiative."
The order will be male only and will use religious and political roles including conducting voter-registration drives and lobbying elected officials, as well as developing strategies for anti-abortion groups.
I find it encouraging that this is a male-only group. We need the presence of men on the frontlines for this to be successful. Woman cannot defend life by themselves. Only with the involvement of men will this be successful.
Most encouraging of all is Planned Parenthood's reaction:
a top official with Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle called the society's arrival "very frightening." In a statement, Planned Parenthood expressed concerns that the society could attract extremists who might resort to violence to further the anti-abortion cause.
We have not heard the last of Terri Schiavo yet. Not by a long shot. Murder, after all, requires a response. The murder of an innocent at the hands of the courts cannot be ignored. The name Terri Schiavo may become a rallying cry around which the defenders of life galvanize.
