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DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
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Vol. 58 No. 2
Thursday, January 13, 1977
Single Copy Price — 15 Cents
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Bishop’s Office
Diocese of Savannah
P. 0. BOX 8789
Savannah , Geohgia
31402
January 13, 1977
My dear friends in Christ,
Respect for the dignity of the human person is a basic
principle of the Judaeo-Christian tradition. This principle,
reflected in the U.S. Constitution, affirms that every person is
created in God’s image and endowed with certain unalienable
rights. Chief among these is the right to life itself.
Human life is not an abstraction. God confers the gift of
life on each person, and this life is the basis of an enduring
personal relationship between God and the individual. Moreover,
this relationship promises eternal union and unending happiness.
Human life is also the basis of our shared humanity -- an
essential quality which each of us possesses in a unique and
highly personal way. Though we are individuals, our shared
humanity is the basis of community among us and serves as
the common bond for all types of personal relationships.
There have been times in history when the basic dignity and
equality of all human beings have been denied or ignored. As
a result some people were denied recognition as persons, or
restricted in the enjoyment of their fundamental human rights.
But this did not and could not change the basic fact that each
person - young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, sick
or healthy -- is entitled by God to recognition and support as
a member of the human family. For the gift of life does not
make us self-sustaining or self-sufficient. At every stage of
development each of us is more or less dependent on others.
Dependence is most pronounced for the unborn, the very
young, and the very old.
For four years now - since the fateful abortion decisions of
the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973 -- the law of
our land has denied unborn children their basic right to life.
The unborn are victims of increasing discrimination and
prejudice. In this past year, more than one million children
have been killed by abortion in the United States. In
Washington, D. C., our nation’s capital, there were more
The Right To Life
abortions than live births. More and more, too, the argument is
advanced that the government must pay for abortions,
especially among the poor, because it may be more expensive
in the long run for society to allow a poor child to be born
than to snuff out his or her life before birth by abortion.
Concern and respect for the poor and disadvantaged are
obligations for all Americans. But if human dignity means
anything, the rapidly growing social policy of aborting the
children of the poor must be rejected* We must -- and we
certainly can -- find ways to help the poor overcome poverty.
We must - and can - provide better maternal and child health
care to all women and their children, unborn and born. But
there is no justification for directly and deliberately destroying
more than one million unborn human beings each year for the
sake of potential social or economic goals.
The disruptive implications of permissive abortion become
increasingly apparent. Reaffirming the theory on which it based
its earlier decisions, the Supreme Court ruled last July that a
father can do nothing to protect his child from abortion once
the mother has made up her mind. The Court also said that
parents cannot interfere, with the abortions of their teenage
daughters.
The Court decided at the same time that the most
commonly used method - saline abortion - cannot be
prohibited on the basis of concern for the woman’s health.
Less than six months later a government agency reported that
saline abortion is relatively unsafe for women.
Lower courts, reflecting the prevailing legal theories, have
ruled that private hospitals must provide abortions, even when
their own governing boards are opposed. And a prestigious
government Commission has argued that public opposition to
abortion for ethical reasons .r,m Etutes a threat to the First
Amendment.
Despite all this, public opinion polls show that abortion on
demand has failed to gain acceptance among the American
people. There is also increasing negative reaction from medical
specialists and legal scholars. Congress recently passed a law
prohibiting government funding of abortion on request,
although a New York judge has questioned the law’s
constitutionality.
Various solutions have been proposed to correct the present
state of affairs. None has been effective. The only realistic
way to deal with the problem seems to be to amend the
Constitution so as to provide clear and unquestioned
protection for unborn children. The American Bishops have
repeatedly called for this and have urged citizens to take an
active role in obtaining such an amendment. Though this is
sure to be a longterm and demanding effort, the difficulties
and uncertainties involved do not justify tolerating a legal
structure which sanctions the present massive violation of the
right to life.
Efforts to obtain an amendment are part of what is required
“to promote a greater understanding of the important link
between faith and politics” (NCCB STATEMENT ON
POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY, Feb. 12, 1976) and to
convince people that permissive abortion is in open conflict
with human dignity, human rights, a commitment to justice.
This year, as we mark the anniversary of the Supreme
Court’s tragic abortion decisions, we are also involved in
changes of elected officials at the local, state and national
levels. At this time, we proclaim once again that human life is
sacred and of surpassing value, and that the right to life of
every human being, unborn and born, deserves protection and
care by society. To bring this about, we urge all Catholics to
take an active part in implementing the educational, pastoral
and public policy aspects of the U.S. Bishop’s PASTORAL
PLAN FOR PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES, and to join with others
in public efforts to assure constitutional protection of the right
to life of all persons.
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Bishop of Savannah
J
‘MARCH FOR LIFE" 1
Leaders Say Protest
Will Be Biggest Yet
WASHINGTON (NC) - Leaders of
the March for Life predict the
biggest pro-life turnout ever for a
protest demonstration marking the
fourth anniversary of the U.S.
Supreme Court’s Jan. 22, 1973,
decisions which overturned most
state abortion laws.
With Jan. 22, 1977, falling on a
Saturday, pro-lifers who have been
prevented by their work from
attending previous marches will be
able to attend this one, thus swelling
numbers from last year’s estimated
65„000, according to Nellie J. Gray,
the organization’s president.
March participants and other
supporters will once again send roses
to their congressmen and senators.
The roses are meant to symbolize
life, according to the march
organizers.
Roses will also be delivered to the
White House, Miss Gray said.
The roses are offered for sale
through the March for Life, which
uses the proceeds to fund its
activities.
This year’s program will begin
with deliveries of roses on Jan. 21.
That evening there will be a vigil at
the Mayflower Hotel from 7 p.m.
until 10 p.m.
Marchers will lobby in the House
and Senate Office buildings the
following morning, then assemble on
the Capitol grounds, and march
down Pennsylvania Ave. to the White
House.
Carters Invited To Speak
WASHINGTON (NC) - Organizers
of the March for Life, a Jan. 22
anti-abortion demonstration planned
for the fourth anniversary of the
U.S. Supreme Court decisions
overturning most state restrictions on
abortion, have invited President-elect
and Mrs. Carter to speak to the
marchers here.
A Carter spokesman in Plains, Ga.,
said no decision has been made yet
on whether to attend.
The spokesman said details of the
invitiation have not yet been
confirmed and no plans have yet
been made for appointments after
Carter’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
Some 65,000 people attended last
year’s March for Life, the largest
turnout in three years. Organizers
believe this year’s attendance will be
even larger because Jan. 22 falls on
a Saturday for the first time since
the marches began.
Miss Nellie Gray, president for
March for Life, extended the
invitation in a letter to Carter.
“I know that you have a very full
schedule of activities during the
inauguration week,” she said.
“However, the pro-life issue is so
grave, compelling and urgent that I
am sure you will want to fit into
your schedule an appearance” at the
march, she said.
“During your campaign, you spoke
repeatedly of your opposition to
abortion,” she said. “Jan. 22 will be
a unique opportunity for you and
Mrs. Carter to speak to pro-lifers,
who are a true cross-section of our
American people.”
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S I VANNAH DIOCESE
January 16th Is
Pro-Life Sunday
Sunday, January 16, 1977 has
been designated “Pro-Life Sunday” in
the Diocese of Savannah.
According to the Rev. Robert J.
Teoli, Pro-Life Director of the
Savannah Diocese, parishes have been
asked to schedule expressive liturgies
and to devote their homilies to the
Pro-Life theme on Sunday, January
16. They have also been asked to
plan special liturgies on Saturday,
January 22, the fourth anniversary
of the Supreme Court ruling that it
was constitutional to kill unborn
children. The Diocesan Office has
made available a special prayer
service outline for January 22. (This
outline is reproduced on page seven
of this issue.)
The Pro-Life Sunday observance in
the diocese is intended as the first
step toward the implementation of
the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for
Pro-Life Activities.
A special “Respect Life” Booklet
prepared by the Bishops’ Committee
for Pro Life Activities NCCB has
been sent to all parishes. It contains
resource information, a study guide
and program/project suggestions for
Parish Council Committees and
organizations to use in planning
continuing parish involvement in the
Bishops’ plan.
In addition, the booklet has been
sent to all Organization Services
Chairmen of the Parish Councils of
Catholic Women in the Diocese so
that organization may participate.
Also available upon request is a
copy of the Pro-Life Program
“Abortion and the Christian
Conscience.” This is a six-unit course
for high school students by Balerie
Vance Dillon.
Respect For Life-The Church’s Teaching
(Reprinted from the Respect Life
manual prepared by the Bishops'
Committee for Pro-Life Activities NCCB.)
The Church’s teaching on the
respect due to the unborn child has
recently been summarized in the
Declaration on Abortion, issued by
the Sacred Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith on November
18, 1974. A comprehensive review of
the history of the Church’s teaching
on abortion is beyond the scope of
this treatment. The purpose here is
to recall that the teaching is
constant throughout the Church’s
history, that it was formed early in
the life of the Church, and that it
was rooted in and consistent with
the revelation God has given us in
scriptures.
THE CHURCH TRADITION
The condemnation of abortion
that developed early in the life of
the Church was based on the
community’s experience of its new
life in God and was set in
opposition to the widespread
practices of abortion and infanticide
in the Greco-Roman world.
Some scholars argue that the
condemnation of “sorcery” or
“witchcraft” (pharmakeia) found in
the writings of St. Paul and in the
Book of Revelation can be understood
to include abortifacient portions and
medicines (cf. Gal. 5:20, Rev. 9:21;
21:8 and 22:15). In the ancient
world the Greek term pharmakeia
had an inherent ambiguity, referring
both to magic and to drugs. “It is
the employment of drugs with occult
properties for a variety of purposes,
including, in particular, contraception
or abortion.”! 1) Its use in Rev.
18:23 is the one time in the New
Testament when it refers specifically
to magic or sorcery.(2) Otherwise,
the term’s built-in ambiguity includes
a possible reference to abortifacients.
The first clear condemnation of
abortion is found in a first century
book on Church discipline called the
Didache, or The Teaching of the
Twelve Apostles. The sin of abortion
is listed along with other serious sins
such as murder, adultery, fornication
and theft. The text reads: “You
shall not slay the child by abortions.
You shall not kill what is
generated.”!3) The Didache was held
in such high regard in early Christian
times that many considered it equal
in importance to the books of the
New Testament.(4)
Throughout subsequent Church
history the Fathers of the Church,
both East and West, Church
Councils, and other books on Church
discipline have consistently held that
abortion is a serious moral evil.
Sometimes the severity of the
penalty for the sin of abortion has
varied, and at times different
theories on the precise nature of the
teaching have been articulated, but
the prohibition was maintained. The
basic thrust of the Church’s tradition
(Continued on page 7)
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