Last year, Cardinal Raymond Burke said: “I can’t imagine that any Catholic wouldn’t know that abortion is a grievous sin, but if they don’t, once they’ve been told, then they either have to cease to support abortion or accept the fact they are not a Catholic in good standing and therefore should not present themselves for Holy Communion.”
I read these words with both gratitude and sadness. The sadness does not occur because of the known public advocates of abortion who claim to be Catholic, but rather because the existence of sin in our world today is denied, rejected, and scoffed at in ways I never could have imagined.
The words of those decrying the right to life when arguing in favor of maintaining the status quo for abortion are always harsh and cruel. During the oral arguments for the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, Julie Rikelman attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said: “Women have an equal right to liberty under the Constitution, Your Honor, and if they’re not able to make this decision, if states can take control of women’s bodies and force them to endure months of pregnancy and childbirth, then they will never have equal status under the Constitution.”
It is appalling to read this and realize that Rikelman is speaking about expectant mothers whose liberty, she claims, is based on their ability to kill their own children.
She has clearly rejected the fact that abortion is a grievous sin.
Talking about situations at the end of life is no better. We have discovered that the latest fad is death doulas. A doula is someone who provides emotional and physical support to a woman during pregnancy and childbirth. Doulas are not medical professionals. But their skills have now moved into the arena of killing.
According to Kim Callinan, CEO for the pro-euthanasia Compassion & Choices organization: “Death doulas can play a key role in shifting end-of-life care from a paternalistic to patient-directed system by bringing non-judgmental support to patients and serving as their advocate. This is particularly needed for patients who would like the option of medical aid in dying.”
Death doulas affirm the so-called right to die, which is an act of euthanasia. But for those who do not see killing a patient or helping him kill himself as a grievous sin, such actions are viewed as compassionate.
People like Callinan and Rikelman take their philosophy from the same page as former abortion clinic worker Linda Weber, author of Life Choices: The Teachings of Abortion, who once wrote:
Women today, more than ever before, are acting in their own interests. We are searching to understand and take responsibility for the dimension of our lives that calls for us to end life in order to preserve and support Life. . . .
It is important to face the issue of death in abortion. There is no need to hide from the fact that death is part of the experience. Unfortunately, the political framework of abortion puts many of us who support legal abortion on the defensive with regard to the death involved.
Weber’s journey brought her to truth. Today, Weber has become a staunch advocate for motherhood and family. In an article published by Focus on the Family, she writes: “But with your inborn nature to nurture, your awareness of each realm, and God to guide you, you can use your gifts to nurture your children well. Remember, your ability to nurture makes good things happen. A nurturing mom’s process creates an environment for a good harvest.”
We are thankful for Weber’s conversion to God and His Word. At the same time, we pray for those who have chosen not to see that taking the life of a vulnerable human being at any stage in his life is a grievous sin.
Such crimes against God cry out for justice. Until people recognize and embrace God’s creation and defend innocent human beings rather than rejecting God and His merciful justice, the streets will continue to flow with the blood of the innocent.
Ignoring grievous sin will always end badly.