By Michael Hichborn
In June of this year, Pope Francis delivered a powerful message to members of a notorious crime syndicate in Calabria, Italy. The ‘Ndrangheta is believed to be wealthier and more powerful than the Sicilian mafia. During a Mass he said in the town of Sibari, Pope Francis stated, “Those who follow the path of evil, like the mafiosi do, are not in communion with God; they are excommunicated!” Pope Francis went on to explain: “When instead of adoring the Lord, one substitutes the adoration of money, one opens the path to sin, personal interests, and exploitation. . . . When one does not adore the Lord God, one becomes an adorer of evil, like those who live lives of crime and violence.”
Pope Francis delivered these words just as we were preparing our Defend the Family campaign, which is focused on asking the Holy Father to declare Planned Parenthood an enemy of the Church. When the Holy Father made these remarks, the words leapt off the page as if to confirm the work we were doing. It immediately became clear that Planned Parenthood is the sex mafia, and deserves no less of a condemnation.
As we pointed out in our most popular video report, Hooking Kids on Sex, Planned Parenthood’s entire business model is based on scandalizing children and getting them addicted to sex so it can sell them contraception and abortion. “Sex sells,” as the old adage goes, and Planned Parenthood is raking in the cash. But the Holy Father was clear: Love of money, in place of God, opens the path to sin and exploitation. It doesn’t take much to see that Planned Parenthood is exploiting the innocence and helplessness of children by killing them in the womb and indoctrinating the ones who survive into lives of perversion.
Pope Francis’ strong condemnation of the mafia isn’t without precedent. In 1738, Pope Clement XII condemned the Order of Freemasonry. He excommunicated anyone who joined Freemasonry, gave the Masons financial support, or even gave the appearance of friendship to Freemasons. In 1931, the Catholic Conference of Germany excommunicated all active members of the Nazi party. In 1949, Pope Pius XII issued a decree that announced the excommunication of all Catholics who vote for, affiliate with, write for, or otherwise promote communists and communist materialism. Pope Francis’ statement that “those who follow the path of evil, like the mafiosi do . . . are excommunicated” is right in line with these previous condemnations. Given how Planned Parenthood opposes the Church in all of its activities and beliefs, it’s a no-brainer that Planned Parenthood should be equally condemned, and all Catholics who fund, support, or promote Planned Parenthood in any way should be excommunicated as well. One is either for Christ or for the world, and a condemnation of this magnitude will do more to inform the consciences of Catholics than anything else.
Michael Hichborn is director of American Life League’s Defend the Faith project.