The ongoing scandal in the United States over Planned Parenthood selling aborted baby organs has caused many to sit up and take notice to the tragedy of abortion. Five US States have defunded Planned Parenthood in the wake of this scandal. People are now questioning whether they can really say they are “pro-choice” after seeing the reality of the abortion industry, and the harsh truth that abortion kills a human being – a child.
The videos which have been made public are powerful witnesses to the humanity and the dignity of the human person, from the very first moment of existence. A dignity that many today wish to cast aside in the name of convenience, autonomy, choice…
The rhetoric has become old.
When people wish to seek the truth, they will find it.
I believe that people need to actually see what abortion does to an unborn child to shake us out of our complacency. Obviously there is a time and a place, and a way to do this that shows sensitivity.
Abortion is horrific. It is heinous. Arms and legs are torn off, tiny fingers and toes are visible among the crushed and mangled bodies. It is a sight that no one wants to see, or even read about, because it is something so gruesome that it cannot be forgotten. But they are images that give us fire in our belly to speak up in the face of this grave injustice. It is a reality that cannot be ignored.
So what does this mean for us?
It means that every individual, every family, every Church, every person of good will must seek to make a stand for what is right and true in the face of this grave injustice. As St John Paul II exhorted us: we must never tire, we must never give up, we must never be discouraged and we must not be afraid.
We have an obligation to speak up for our pre-born brothers and sisters – the most vulnerable among us – simply because they have dignity.
We must recognize the dignity of every human person from the very first moment of existence to the very natural end. Every life is worthwhile. Every life is precious.
A final word of encouragement from St John Paul II:
“Life will triumph: this is a sure hope for us. Yes, life will triumph because truth, goodness, joy and true progress are on the side of life. God, who loves life and gives it generously, is on the side of life.”
Let us pray with hope and work with a great sense of urgency for the sake of our brothers and sisters!