Catholic Voice

 The last edition of Catholic Voice featured an article entitled ‘Deadly Hypocrisy:  HSE Turns Tax Money into Blood Money.’  The article exposes the growing pro-abortion ethos in the Irish government.  It shows how the government is funding organizations who actively, and arguably unconstitutionally, promote actual abortions and work for legalized abortion in Ireland.  The article also pointed out how politicians such as those who comprise the Joint Committee for Health and Children (JCHC) are colluding with anti-life activists such as Sinéad Marie Ahern of Choice Ireland in an attempt to shut down legitimate crisis pregnancy agencies whom they falsely accuse of being rogues.  Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, and the HSE are seemingly spearheading the witch hunt.

No doubt women and men facing an unintended pregnancy find themselves dealing with a very difficult situation.  Emotions run high, and the fear can be overwhelming.  To use the government’s own terminology, such people can find themselves in a time of crisis.  Certainly they are in need of real help and tangible support, the sort of help Catholic pro-lifers rally to provide often at their own expense.  Anti-life agencies, of course, have their deadly alternatives to offer—for a price.  This raises two questions: 

First, who is best fit to help those women and men weigh all their options and to make real and intelligent decisions rather than knee-jerk, fear-driven reactions?

Second, does it make a difference if a crisis pregnancy service is governed by secular standards or by the Gospel of Life?

Concerning the first question, two principal options are possible:  the accusers or the accused.  In other words, the choice is between those who encourage abortion (under the veil of non-directive, non-judgemental counselling), or the Catholic, pro-life so-called “rogues” who propose (not impose) viable options other than abortion.  It is a choice between those motivated by secular standards or those motivated by the Gospel of Life. 

The answer to the second query follows from the first.  Those agencies not motivated by Christian faith, besides being pro-abortion, likewise tend to endorse sexual licence (i.e. promiscuity) as part of a healthy lifestyle.  All choices are amoral, and they lack a holistic approach to the human person by reducing people to their bodies.  Catholic agencies, on the other hand, tend to embrace and promote sexual freedom (i.e. chastity) as part of a healthy lifestyle.  They do not reduce persons to mere physical bodies, but love persons holistically—body and soul.  The difference between licence and freedom is self-control.  Moral freedom requires ones emotions and will to be subject to his or her right reason when making truly human choices.  Licence, conversely, dehumanizes one by severing his or her moral choices from right reason.  Hence, the unavoidable and inconvenient truth is that secular-minded agencies ultimately create and perpetuate the very crisis they claim competency to resolve.  Moreover, the so-called non-directive counselling technique they impose upon “approved” crisis pregnancy agencies is problematic precisely because it fails to help clients move beyond their understandable emotions and fears into rational reflection.  Accordingly, pro-life Christians are clearly best suited, presuming of course that they are properly trained to offer crisis pregnancy services.  If for no other reason, they promote and respect what is truly human right from the start. 

Crisis in Moral Leadership

But what does all this have to do with those finger-pointing, abortion-advocating officials and experts who are falsely accusing pro-life Christians who are on the frontline every day? 

Therein lies the real crisis behind so-called crisis pregnancies—namely, the crisis in moral leadership.  Our so-called leaders and experts are, themselves, ultimately the problem.

Some recent events are very telling; in fact, they make the case more eloquently than I ever could.  They highlight for all who ‘have eyes to see and ears to hear’ how the moral problem facing Ireland today is becoming more and more systemic and institutionalized due to a lack of moral leadership. 

One of the members of the JCHC who uncritically accepted the anecdotal testimony offered by Ms Ahern is Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan.  The Daily Mail (18 Dec. 2009) reported the increased demand for the “morning-after” pill during the Christmas season.  The article, by Catherine Fegan, quoted the advice Ms O’Sullivan offered to pill-seeking, Christmas party revellers:  ‘I would urge all women to put some thought into their night out.  If they can choose an outfit, they can choose contraception.’  Alison Begas, Chief Executive of the Well-Woman Centre, echoed the same sentiments, while the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) used the situation to promote over-the-counter access to the abortifacient “morning-after” pill.  The IFPA is also and ironically involved in the ABC Case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the very government that provides substantial funding for its activities.  Why are our leaders not moving to stop funding the IFPA and to end their charitable status instead of bullying and condemning Christ’s faithful?

Just a few days later on 22 Dec. 2009 Minister for Children, Barry Andrews, voiced his approval for lowering the age of consent for sex.  He added his endorsement to the availability of contraceptives for minors.  Mr Andrews further supports offering certain medical treatments to minors, subject to certain conditions, without parental consent.  In context, this suggests access to abortifacient contraceptives, surgical abortions (including so-called “menstrual extractions”), and the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to safeguard the mental health of minors.  Mr Andrews, nevertheless, offered no specifications.

The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in the recent R and R Case is also shocking and absurd.  The court ruled that embryos prior to implantation are not “unborn” in the manner intended by Article 40.3.3° of the Constitution.  Consequently, their pre-born lives are not protected.  However, Article 40.3.3° acknowledges that unborn babies have a right to life and guarantees to defend and vindicate it ‘as far as practicable.’  Embryos prior to implantation, whether their life began naturally or unnaturally by means of in vitro fertilization (IVF), are living, pre-born babies.  They are the youngest of human beings.  Patrick Buckley from the European Life Network says that the Irish text of Article 40.3.3° which prevails over the English translation leaves no doubt that embryos before implantation are also clearly protected constitutionally.  The courts decision is in essence a death sentence for the frozen embryos in question.  The direct destruction of unborn embryos is equivalent to abortion and is therefore never morally or legally justifiable.  (Of course, this situation could have been avoided in the first place if the couple had not chosen IVF against Catholic teaching.)

The advice offered by Dr Derek Freedman, an STI specialist also cited by Ms Fegan in the article cited above, is particularly illustrative of secular wisdom:  ‘Often people don’t even enjoy or remember the sex. . . .The first thing people need to know is the name and phone number of the person they were having sex with.  This means that if a disease is detected, potentially infected sexual partners can be contacted.  A good way of finding this out is if people try to have breakfast together the next morning.  That way you can get the information over a bowl of cereal.’  It sounds like he is advising one to act responsibly irresponsible!

Note that the sexual chaos highlighted above is not only being promoted by our elected leaders and experts—it is even considered normal, part of a healthy lifestyle.  Any number of crises will inevitably result from such frivolous and licentious choices—date rape, HIV and other STIs, marital infidelity, unintended pregnancy and abortion—just to name a few.

Licentious Lifestyle = Big Business

Of course after promoting immoral, crisis-generating behaviours that would make even Sodom and Gomorrah blush, there is always someone there to sell you a solution.  Contraceptives and prophylactics before one has sex, abortifacient “morning-after” pills after one has sex, and if all else fails, they can even refer a woman to an abortionist whom she can pay to “therapeutically” kill her baby.  After all, why let a good crisis go to waste when you can profit from it, right?

Then again there are those Christian, pro-life so-called “rogues” with their message of chastity.  The only “crisis” this is likely to produce is two uninfected, sexually inexperienced virgins consummating their marriage in a holy act of committed love.  The only thing it will ever cost one is to practise self-control, a seemingly alien concept to policy makers and alleged experts on all levels.  Oh, and no innocent babies ever have to be killed in the name of medicine. 

Tragically, these same lay faithful—who sacrifice sometimes heroically to help women in unintended pregnancies—stand accused by the very leaders and experts who have essentially paved the way to many unplanned pregnancies.  Any objective observer can see what is going on and would have to conclude that the conduct of the JCHC is nothing short of a Mickey Mouse trial.  Ms O’Sullivan even lamented to her colleagues on the JCHC that the pro-abortion IFPA mentioned by Senator Rónán Mullen was not present to represent itself.  Yet none of the Committee members seemed the least bit bothered that the pro-life groups specifically named by Ms Ahern, i.e. ASK Majella and Human Life International (HLI), were not present to defend themselves.  It is as if the Choice Ireland presentation was merely a formality in order to justify the proposed legal actions against pro-life crisis pregnancy services.  Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney has yet to respond fully to Catholic Voice’s question as to why the JCHC was conducted in such a slanted, biased and unprofessional manner. 

One can only wonder why our so-called leaders and experts favour the sexually licentious ways of the anti-life industry.  I guess in the final analysis it is just more lucrative.

One thing is certain:  The crisis in moral leadership will not end until more lay faithful stand up for life and common decency in all spheres of life.  Yours is the socio-political realm.  We clergy and religious, however, must also rise up and courageously support faithful pro-lifers in every way we can—now more than ever.  Only when the head and the body work together will the foot crush the head of Satan, the accuser!

Our Lady of Victory, help and protect us who have recourse to you.

This feature is categorised under Life Matters