Many people probably aren’t aware of the identity of Jane Roe in the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion.
Her real name was Norma McCorvey. Interestingly enough, she never had an abortion and later regretted her part in that decision. In fact, she worked for its overturn.
To the editor:
Every hour of the day and of the night in our Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, we pray to our “ever faithful God . . . to empower us to witness to the Gospel with courage.”
Since Ash Wednesday, 2014, persons have been praying and witnessing on the sidewalks by Mayo/ Franciscan Medical Center in La Crosse.
On December 7, 2016, there was a quiet announcement that few people probably noticed. But it carried some significant news that can help save lives.
On that date, the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles announced that Choose Life Wisconsin Inc. is now an authorized group for the purpose of requesting a specialty license plate.
To the editor:
Mary Uhler and Monica Simpson fail to understand that the cities today with the strictest gun control (Chicago and Washington, D.C.) have the highest rate of crime. Wyatt Earp displayed, in the city of Tombstone, Ariz., “No guns allowed within city limits”. He and his family reaped grave consequences for enforcing those restrictions.
The right to bear arms is rooted in the Constitution for a reason. We the people must be protected from government tyranny. Legal gun use has to be the peoples’ protection. Gun restriction laws are simply ignored by those who intend to break the law.
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| Fr. Jorge Miramontes, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Marshall and Waterloo, performs a Rite of Minor Exorcism outside the Planned Parenthood clinic on Madison’s east side. Father Miramontes performed the rite during a January 27 prayer vigil to mark the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion across the country. The vigil took place near the Women’s Care Center, located across the street from the clinic, that provides free, confidential counseling, support, and education to women facing unplanned pregnancies. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — Whether it’s the March for Life in Washington, D.C., a meeting of pro-life leaders from across the state, or a gathering of two dozen prayer warriors on a frigid winter morning, the message is always the same before, during, and after these events — “there’s more work to be done.”
If the optimistically self-proclaimed “pro-life generation” is to meet its goal of ending abortion, there’s no time to pause while celebrating the baby-saving victories and no pause to be content when an abortion clinic closes — there’s more work to be done.
The previous night’s snow stopped with enough time to make the roads good for winter travel en route to a prayer vigil outside the Planned Parenthood clinic on Madison’s east side on January 27.
It was hosted by Vigil for Life Madison — a volunteer organization whose members pray, fast, and peacefully witness for an end to abortion in the Madison area.
It marked the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion across the United States.
The vigil was held five days after the actual anniversary when hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers — some from the Madison area — participated in the March for Life in our nation’s capital as well as the Walk for Life in California.
As people began to gather on the sidewalk outside the busy clinic, the first prayer of choice was an obvious one — the Divine Mercy Chaplet — imploring both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary to intercede on behalf of the unborn, family members who have lost a child due to abortion, and the clinic owner and workers that their hearts may be changed.
News media reported that world leaders — including Muslim and Jewish statesmen — linked arms on January 11 to lead more than a million French citizens through Paris in an unprecedented march to pay tribute to victims of Islamist militant attacks.
Commentators said the last time crowds of this size filled the streets of the capital was at the liberation of Paris from Nazi Germany in 1944.
While we mourn the tragic deaths in Paris — including the journalists and police who were killed there — I also find it ironic that over one billion unborn children have been killed in the world since 1980 and over 57 million unborn children have died in the United States by abortion since 1973.
Do we have a tremendous outcry about these lives lost? Do we mourn the deaths of these unborn babies?
To the editor:
On January 22, 1973, the great scourge of legalized abortion was thrust upon our country with the enactment of Roe v. Wade.
Hundreds of thousands of American Christians from across the country make the annual pilgrimage each January to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as a reminder that the killing of innocent children is very wrong and grieves our dear Lord.
To the editor:
The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism recently published an excellent article about the inspector general for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services conducting a much-needed audit of the multi-million dollar family planning industry in our state.
The recent article highlighted that clinics “overbilled Medicaid by $3.5 million.”
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| Pope Francis embraces Vinicio Riva, 53, during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican November 6, 2013. (CNS photo/Claudio Peri, EPA) |
There have been many pictures of Pope Francis embracing people. Perhaps the most poignant image I’ve seen was when the Holy Father hugged a severely disfigured man during a general audience at the Vatican on November 6 (that picture is included here).
The man, Vinicio Riva, suffers from neurofibromatosis, a disease which results in painful benign tumors. In a Catholic News Service (CNS) article, Riva said Pope Francis didn’t hesitate at all in embracing him. He said, “I’m not contagious, but (the pope) didn’t know that. But he did it, period: He caressed my whole face and while he was doing it, I felt only love,” he said.
Some people have criticized Pope Francis for not mentioning pro-life issues such as abortion specifically enough in his public speeches. The pope has been very clear that he is committed to the defense of human life at all stages. He has frequently denounced what he calls a “throwaway culture,” which is more concerned about profit and greed than the value of human life.
Rather than using words, I think Pope Francis has been following his namesake, St. Francis, who was purported to say, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Obviously we often do need words to preach the Gospel and to teach the pro-life message, but perhaps we teach best without words by the example of our own lives.
Pope Francis teaches about the value of human life by how he embraces people of all ages and conditions. He especially singles out babies and disabled persons whom he meets, giving them a big hug and often stopping to talk with them. His actions speak much louder than any words.
We can certainly follow his example in our own lives by showing our love and concern for all people we encounter, especially the sick, disabled, elderly, pregnant women, and families in need in our families and communities.
We can provide our volunteer and financial support to organizations that assist those in need and support the pro-life cause, include Catholic Charities, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Catholic Multicultural Center, the Women’s Care Center, Pregnancy Helpline, Care Net Pregnancy Center, Pro-Life Wisconsin, Wisconsin Right to Life, and Vigil for Life.
Once when I visited a hospital, an urgent call came over the public address system: “If a Catholic priest is present, please come to the main desk immediately.” I hurried to the main desk. The receptionist asked me to talk to a lady who had just given birth to a still-born baby. She and her husband were grieving. I tried to console them.
