Pro-Life
+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
5 Feb 2012
On January 21st I happened to be in Los Angeles for their annual pro-life Mass, opposing abortion, celebrated around the anniversary of the Roe versus Wade Supreme Court case there, which opened the flood gates to abortion.
Times are changing and for the better on pro-life issues in the U.S.A.
The first Los Angeles pro-life Mass was celebrated nine years ago in the recently opened new Cathedral, a huge rectangular prayer-space which seats well over 2000 worshippers. Then the church was only one third full and they lit 410 candles to represent the number of babies aborted in Los Angeles on that day.
At this year's Mass the church was full of people of every age group and national background including the Irish and German Americans, and only 150 candles were lit, once again representing the reduced number of daily abortions there. These candles were placed on the edge of the church property to be visible to the 250,000 cars a day which pass on the way to and from Hollywood.
The Mass was reverent and prayerful but surrounded by considerable pomp and ceremony. A large number of Knights of Columbus, a major donor organisation, were present in their colourful uniforms and white plumed helmets, the music was led by a choir from a local Catholic High School.
Teenage girls, dressed in white, brought up the cloths to dress the altar and they returned after Mass to lead the procession carrying the 150 candles which were lit and placed on the sanctuary around the altar. The Church lights were extinguished and 150 seconds of silent prayer followed for those unborn and for their mothers and fathers.
People in the U.S.A. are more religious, anti-religious and pro-life than Australians, although the tide is running against faith and religious practice there also. But pro-life convictions have strengthened over recent decades due to years of persistent efforts, regular prayer and peaceful and reasonable presentation of the facts about the unborn.
The new ultra sound technology (not X-rays, as one doctor reminded me recently) which delights parents so they can see their baby foetus has dealt a devastating blow to those who claim that the unborn embryo and foetus are not human. As never before, seeing is believing.
One recent poll showed 52% of North Americans as pro-life. Some decades ago pro-life support was only 40%. This is progress.
