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THE RIGHT
TO LIFE:
A QUESTION OF JUSTICE |
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30 April 2007 |
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Message of the Catholic Organization
for Life and Family
on the occasion of the National March for Life
Ottawa – May 10, 2007
The Catholic
Organization for Life and Family (COLF) would like to take the
opportunity of the 10th National March for Life to call upon Canadians
to reconsider the inconceivable juridical void in our country which
allows for the free elimination of our future citizens through abortion.
We mourn the 3 million children who, over the last 36 years, have been
refused the right to life in this country.
Canadians have
always been a peaceful people. We have striven to build a just society
that would increasingly reflect the dignity of the human person. Yet the
silent violence of abortion counters this ideal and constitutes a
flagrant injustice.
The
first fundamental right
It is an
illusion to think that the human rights of each and everyone will be
respected if we do not begin by respecting the first of all fundamental
rights: the right to life, which is recognized by the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (Article 3). It is only by respecting life
from its earliest beginnings until its natural end that we may hope to
have the rest of our rights respected.
Since the year
2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
the time has come – and is indeed 25 years overdue – to extend the
protections of this document to unborn Canadian citizens. For a quarter
of a century, the Charter has proclaimed the "right to life, liberty and
security of the person" in accordance with the principles of
"fundamental justice" for "everyone". (Section 7) It has also affirmed
that "every individual is equal before and under the law and has the
right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without
discrimination" (Section 15). And yet unborn humans, whether minutes
after conception or seconds away from their birth, have continued to be
utterly excluded from these basic protections.
The unborn child: a human person
Today,
astonishing and abundant scientific evidence confirms the humanity of
the unborn, each of whom is unique and irreplaceable. Only three weeks
after conception, its heart is already beating. We have seen, at twelve
to sixteen weeks, that the fetus can yawn, swallow, suck its thumb, and
hiccup. It can make a fist, kick and do somersaults that are not yet
felt by its mother. Modern medicine has enabled fetuses as young as 22
weeks to survive a premature birth. These babies have shown us that they
can already feel pain. Moreover,
scientists now affirm with certitude that “it is not possible to accept
the idea that [even] early embryos are ‘a featureless clump of cells.’”
This affirmation echoes that of the father of modern genetics, who
discovered the chromosomal anomaly responsible for Trisomy 21, the
French professor of human genetics and medical doctor Jerome Lejeune,
who declared: “from the moment of fertilization, that is from the
earliest moment of biologic existence, the developing human being is
alive, and entirely distinct from the mother who provides nourishment
and protection. From fertilization to old age, it is the same living
human being who grows, develops, matures and eventually dies. This
particular human being, with his or her characteristics, is unique and
therefore irreplaceable.” This wealth
of information on the intrauterine development of the human being surely
helps to explain the encouraging evolution of Canadian public attitudes
and opinion on this subject. Reliable surveys indicate that two-thirds
of citizens say they are in favor of a law that would give greater
protection to unborn human life, at least from a certain stage of
pregnancy.
Recognizing the right to life from conception
As a civilized
country, considering the knowledge that we now have about prenatal
development, we cannot continue to deny the evidence: to destroy a human
fetus or embryo is to prevent the birth of a unique and irreplaceable
human being.
Our
communities must be more creative in supporting women and couples
confronted with an unexpected pregnancy. Moreover, our governments also
have a crucial role to play in this area. We need publicly funded
services that offer alternatives to abortion. We need informed consent
and parental notification laws. As the U.S. Supreme Court recently
stated in Gonzales v. Carhart, where it upheld the federal ban on
partial-birth abortion: “The government may use its voice and its
regulatory authority to show its profound respect for the life within a
woman.”
In fact, the
fundamental principles of justice demand that our Charter of Rights and
Freedoms and our laws recognize and promote the right to life of the
most vulnerable among us, who are also our future: living, unborn human
beings. From the first moment of its existence, the human being must be
respected as a person.
COLF
is co-sponsored by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the
Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus. It promotes respect for
human life and dignity and the essential role of the family.
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May 11, 2006
Canada's
greatest treasure - its people
Demographers have told us:
the current birth rate – 1.5 children per woman of child-bearing age –
cannot maintain the Canadian population at its present levels.
Economists have warned us: the aging of the population will result in
socio-economic problems at the younger generations’ expense. Scientists
have confirmed it: abortion can cause sterility.
It is therefore not
surprising that the organizers of the ninth National March for Life are
declaring this year that “Abortion is killing Canada’s future”. On the
occasion of this event, the Catholic Organization for Life and Family
calls Canadians to recognize that our country’s greatest treasure is its
people.
In light of this, how can
we help but wonder what drives society to promote abortion? Many women,
deprived of any support, see no other solutions. The difficult
situations in which they find themselves present a series of invitations
to the state and civil society, of which we are all members:
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An invitation to offer
young people a vision of love that is worthy of their humanity – a
love that is chaste and faithful – so they know that the favoured
context for welcoming new life is parenthood that is rooted in
marriage;
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An invitation to help
them discover the fullness of human love according to God’s plan; a
love that does not see sex as a commodity, but becomes “concern and
care for the other. No longer is it self-seeking (…), instead it
seeks the good of the beloved: it becomes renunciation and it is
ready, and even willing, for sacrifice.”
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An
invitation to rediscover the greatness of responsible motherhood and
fatherhood, and to promote the beauty of the role of parents and of
raising a child; to recognize the immense personal and social value
of the work performed by a parent who chooses to stay home to
educate young children;
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An invitation also to
offer to women, who generally take on this responsibility, the
chance to be fulfilled professionally without having to give up
their role as mothers – a change that involves a radical
transformation of many social and corporate attitudes;
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An invitation once
again to demand and develop effective family policies that support a
rising birth rate, and also fiscal and social measures that would
allow parents to assume their role as the primary caregivers for
their children — a dream for so many young families!
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An invitation,
finally, to increase initiatives and services to help pregnant women
who are in difficult circumstances.
The serious demographic
challenge facing Canada requires decisive action in favour of couples
and families. As Pope John Paul II wrote in Evangelium Vitae this
action would begin with resistance to those who:
“try to justify abortion
by claiming that the result of conception, at least up to a certain
number of days, cannot yet be considered a personal human life. But in
fact, “from the time that the ovum is fertilized, a life is begun which
is neither that of the father nor the mother; it is rather the life of a
new human being with his own growth.
It would never be made
human if it were not human already. This has always been clear, and …
modern genetic science offers clear confirmation. It has demonstrated
that from the first instant there is established the programme of what
this living being will be: a person, this individual person with his
characteristic aspects already well determined.”
Together we must take up
the challenge of life, beginning with changing our view of the child to
be born. Rather than being a threat, this child is a rich resource and a
promise: a promise for the future. We must encourage generous couples
who would like to give three, four or five children to Canadian society.
However, this will not
happen without an active commitment on the part of those who believe in
life and who choose to welcome it and to help it blossom daily, from its
earliest moments until it ends naturally.
This joint civic
responsibility rests on everyone’s shoulders. That is why it is
important to march for life. Being witnesses in this way of the
inalienable worth and sacred nature of all life – even amidst great
suffering – is to contribute to humanizing Canadian society so that it
may become capable of always welcoming the new lives that guarantee our
country’s future.
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May 3,
2005
Free
Choice or Freedom of Choice?
A new
phenomenon is beginning to shake up long-held opinions at the
heart of Canadian society. More and more women who have been
hurt by abortion are rising up to speak out about their
suffering. They do so generously, hoping to help others avoid
the difficulties that they went through. Their message is clear:
they made the wrong choice. Children are not the only victims of
the abortion mentality prevalent in our society. Their mothers
are also victims of the abortion culture.
On the
occasion of the National March for Life 2005, the Catholic
Organization for Life and Family (COLF) invites Canadians to
dare to listen to what these women have to say. After more than
35 years of a progressive trivialization of abortion and the
death of hundreds of thousands of future Canadians, it is time
for our country to take a long hard look at these past choices.
A free
choice is a choice for life
When
one speaks of choice, one must also speak of freedom - it is a
value of utmost importance! Experience has shown that, too
often, the mother who chooses abortion does not find the freedom
she sought. Instead, she becomes a prisoner, locked in her own
fear and ignorance.
She
fears for the future and receives no psychological, moral or
financial support from her partner, family or friends. No one
helps her marvel at the intra-uterine development of her child,
and no one warns her about the possible consequences that the
abortion might have on her own health. She believes she is
making a free choice by aborting, but too often finds herself
overwhelmed by suffering and guilt.
Abortion: society’s failure
A
necessary realization must take place: abortion is a failure of
society; an obvious sign of our inability to respect and welcome
all of those little lives on whom our future depends. The time
has come to dare to listen to these courageous women who are
speaking to us - sometimes 10, 20 or 30 years later - about the
negative impact that abortion has had on their lives.
By
sharing their experience with us, they describe the
“post-abortion syndrome” that led to emotional, psychological
and moral suffering. Some of their responses to this suffering
were drug and alcohol abuse, destructive relationships,
depression, suicidal thoughts - anything to numb their pain.
They also tell of the negative consequences that abortion had on
their physical health: sterility, cervical cancer, problems with
other pregnancies (miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, etc.)
It is a
very worrisome reality when we consider recent figures from
Statistics Canada: 52% of the 105,154 therapeutic abortions in
2002 were done on women in their twenties, and an average of 26
out of 1000 women in their twenties has had an abortion.
A question of justice
The
personal and social costs of abortion should convince us of the
rights of women to 1) know the possible consequences of abortion
on their health; 2) be informed of fetal development before
their abortion; and 3) be provided with other options.
It is a
question of justice for these women, without even mentioning the
unborn child and his or her right to be born. It is also a
question of social policy, because Canada is confronted with a
growing demographic decline - a birth rate of 1.5 children per
woman of childbearing age - and the rapid aging of our
population.
Pregnant women in difficulty need alternatives to abortion,
positive and constructive solutions that favour the welcoming
and blossoming of life. We must encourage the creation of
services that are adapted to their needs and support those
services that already exist: counseling, homes for pregnant
women, adoption at birth, help from a friend or relative for an
undetermined amount of time to raise one’s child without losing
custody, or “adoption” of a pregnant woman and her child during
the pregnancy and after the birth in order to provide moral and
financial support.
It is
important to go beyond the incoherence of the current Canadian
law that recognizes, on the one hand, the necessity of
protecting the embryo (Law on Assisted Human Reproduction) and,
on the other hand, authorizes abortion at any stage of the
pregnancy.
Certain voices in Canada are now seriously questioning the
consequences of abortion on our society. COLF is one of them.
Time has come for Canadians to overcome their taboos and dare to
begin a new societal debate on abortion. Our future is at stake.
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May 13, 2004
Life: A Right, a Mission, a Responsibility
The Catholic
Organization for Life and Family welcomes the
opportunity offered by the National March for Life to
remind Canadians that choosing life is the only choice
that respects God’s plan for humanity.
The question to ask, at
a time when science is able to produce human beings in a
laboratory, is this: What has been, since the beginning
of time, the Creator’s plan for life, for human
sexuality and for the arrival of children into the
world? What does God expect each one of us to do to
promote this plan?
Choosing life means
defending the life and dignity of each person, from his
or her conception right up until his or her natural
death. It also means walking with all those who cross
our path, so that they might flourish while responding
to God’s daily call. God’s plan for life involves loving
both God and our neighbour, who has been created in
God’s image.
Each man, woman and
child has been entrusted with a mission for the common
good of the world, a mission that no one else can
perform for them, such as forming a family where happy
children will thrive; giving the gift of time to a child
with disabilities or to a volunteer organization; or
welcoming a grandparent who can no longer live alone.
And, who knows, maybe even discovering a cure for AIDS,
making an exceptional movie, composing a symphony or
developing new policies in favour of a fairer
distribution of the world’s riches.
Everyone will rise to
this challenge if they are first allowed the right to
live, and then provided with some basic help along the
way – constant, loving parental involvement in their
upbringing, guidance in the choice of a suitable course
of study or career, ongoing assistance in case of an
unexpected pregnancy, moral support during unemployment,
encouragement in times of sickness and suffering, and
compassionate accompaniment when death is near and the
passage from life to Life beckons.
Throughout our lives,
the God of life calls upon us and counts on us to
promote and defend life, our most precious gift. What
trust God has placed in us! And what a responsibility
that is!
It is important to march
for life, to publicly declare that life is sacred and
that it must be defended at every stage of development
and in all its dimensions. It is important to be
involved in the emergence of a culture of life. But
let’s also take the time each day to wonder about life,
to love life with all its joys and challenges, and to
show our gratitude for the very gift of life that comes
from God.
Let us awaken with a
song of gratitude in our hearts. We have been granted
this one more day, this time of our lives. May we be a
blessing!
Let us breathe and count
each breath as a blessing. We are sustained by the air,
by generations who have gone before us and are now part
of the dust, the stardust and the air. We are upheld by
the earth. We have a place to walk on. We have eyes that
can notice the difference between day and night. Once
again, may we be amazed, as on the first day of
creation, that there is night and there is day, evening
and morning.
Let us listen to the
world about us, as if on the first day of creation. Not
only are there birds, there are flowers and trees
greening – even in the midst of our cities.
Let us listen to the
beating of our hearts – to the hopes and fears which
flow through us and beyond us. However burdened and
broken our hearts may be, they are still beating and
this too should never be taken for granted.
Let us pause to think
about the people we know. May we not take them for
granted! Let us grant them, friends and enemies and mere
acquaintances, a good measure of respect. They too had
their beginning in God.
Awaken to Life! Choose
life!
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LIFE: THE ONLY CHOICE
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The
Catholic Organization for Life and
Family (COLF) would like to invite all
Canadians to pause and reflect for a
moment on the occasion of the National
March for Life, whose theme this year is
Life: The Only Choice! This
March gives us all an opportunity to
appreciate the priceless gift of life
and to make known our commitment to
ensure that human life is respected and
protected.
Each
day we are called to make choices in
favour of life. As Christians, we are
called to be like Jesus in the world: to
give life “abundantly” in a thousand and
one ways, and to safeguard, protect and
celebrate the dignity of our own lives
and the lives of others. On this day of
the National March for Life, our voices
join with the voices of all those who
defend and celebrate life – at all
stages of its development – in order to
affirm that we must always choose life.
Each
decision we make in our lives, each
choice, shapes us, both as humans and as
a society. We regularly make decisions
that affect our own lives and the lives
of others. What sets us apart as humans
is this ability and freedom to choose.
But the fact that we can choose doesn’t
necessarily mean that we will choose
well. In fact, having the ability to
choose does not determine in any way the
morality or the value of the choice we
make. The Catholic tradition has always
insisted on the fact that we must choose
what is good.
Although decision-making affects all
aspects of our life, there is one area
that eludes the decision-making process:
the beginning of our life. We did not
choose the moment or the place of our
arrival into the world. Ultimately, we
believe that we have both the freedom
and the responsibility to choose and
promote human life at all stages – from
conception to death – and in all
circumstances.
This
choice for life grows out of an
underlying belief in the inestimable
value of all human life. We proclaim
that all life is good. As Christians, we
believe that life comes from God.
Through the prophet, Jeremiah, God tells
us, “Before I formed you in the womb
I knew you, and before you were born I
consecrated you.” (Jer 1:5). We
believe that from the beginning the life
of every human being is part of God’s
plan: “his gift, his image and
imprint, a sharing in his breath of
life…. The sacredness of life gives rise
to its inviolability, written from the
beginning in man’s heart, in his
conscience.” This is why we must
unconditionally choose life.
Choosing life means being attentive to
the people around us and defending and
caring for people in all circumstances,
especially the most vulnerable, the most
fragile. Choosing life means putting in
place policies that help people to
balance family and work responsibilities
and that promote a family-centered
approach.
Choosing
life means demanding the right to life
for unborn children as well as
psychological, social and financial
support for pregnant women. Choosing
life means protecting the smallest among
us – the human embryo – who is part of
the human family, who is one of us.
Choosing life means supporting and being
present to those who are disabled,
elderly, ill or suffering. It also means
respecting the life and dignity of those
who are dying and accompanying them
until the very end.
Choosing life means first and above all
being at the service of life. “We
need to ‘show care’ for all life and for
the life of everyone. Indeed, at an even
deeper level, we need to go to the very
roots of life and love.”
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May 7, 2002
Take
Time for Life
May each and every person
marching in the National March
for Life under this year’s
theme, “Let Them Live,” reaffirm
his or her personal commitment
to give even the tiniest and
earliest life the chance it
needs and deserves! Each child
is a gift for humanity, a
miracle. How can we as a society
embrace and truly welcome
children?
At the beginning of the
twenty-first century, life seems
so full of promise. Daily,
scientists are unraveling many
of life’s mysteries. Truly, our
lives have been turned upside
down by countless scientific
discoveries and technological
innovations. The advances are so
rapid and varied that it is
difficult for ethical reflection
to keep pace.
It is critical that we grasp
the challenges underlying these
scientific breakthroughs; only
if our decisions as a society
firmly target respect for life
and human dignity will we affirm
the inviolability of life at all
stages of development. A human
life is a human life: any attack
on its integrity is a direct
attack on our humanity.
Nurture
Life in the Family
Life is fragile within a family
where both parents have to work
in order to put food on the
table. New life is equally
fragile. Financial uncertainty,
lack of support and isolation
can wear down today’s families.
Even if they decide to live
simply, couples have great
difficulty finding a balance
between caring for their
children, earning a living and
providing a stable and peaceful
home environment. And yet, it is
their very love that enables
couples to set up and develop
the most favourable environment
in which to welcome a child: a
family. Within a family, the men
and women of tomorrow’s society
grow, become socialized and
learn how to love.
How, then, can we respond to
the many challenges in today’s
culture regarding the value and
meaning of life itself and of
each human life? How can we as a
community best support today’s
couples who are ready to welcome
new life? How do we navigate the
individual, collective and
political options in our path?
We must make ethical choices
and political decisions to
protect the family, the
“sanctuary” where life is
nurtured. We require concrete
social and financial commitments
if we are to value and support
the fundamental role of the
family for society. The life
that the family shelters is a
gift beyond all measure, the
most precious gift that is given
to us. It is our duty to love
this gift of life, to respect it
and to keep it from harm.
Let
Life Live!
As members of the human family,
we have to affirm, loudly and
clearly, that all human life is
priceless and that every person
is endowed with a dignity that
must be upheld. We must also
proclaim that each human being,
created in the image of God, has
incalculable worth and dignity.
In recognizing and promoting
the value inherent in each human
life, we need to realize that a
new life today is a very special
manifestation of both our past
and our future. We are
connected; we are of the same
flesh. It is the awareness of
this intimate link between each
new life and each of us that
humanizes our society. Children
are our hope and our future. Let
them live!
The Catholic Organization was
founded by the Canadian
Conference of Catholic Bishops
and the Knights of Columbus to
promote respect for human life
and dignity and the essential
role of the family.
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May 4, 2001
Walk as Children of
Light
The third annual March
for Life will take place
on May 11, 2001. People
from across the country
will come to Ottawa to
stand up for life,
particularly the life of
the smallest and most
vulnerable human being,
the unborn child.
Every society, however
pluralistic, considers
life to be a gift beyond
all measure and each
human being to have
incalculable worth and
dignity. Life is the
most precious gift that
is given to us and it is
our duty to love it,
respect it and keep it
from harm.
As people of faith, we
also believe that human
life is sacred because
every human being is
created in the image of
God. The inspiring words
of Pope John Paul II,
given in a homily in
Washington at the
beginning of his
pontificate, continue to
motivate all who stand
up for life.
ll human beings ought to
value every person for
his or her uniqueness as
a creature of God,
called to be a brother
or sister of Christ by
reason of the
Incarnation and the
universal Redemption.
For us, the sacredness
of human life is based
on these premises. And
it is on these same
premises that there is
based our celebration of
life – all human life.
This explains our
efforts to defend human
life against every
influence or action that
threatens or weakens it,
as well as our
endeavours to make every
life more human in all
its aspects.
And so, we will stand up
every time that human
life is threatened. When
the sacredness of life
before birth is
attacked, we will stand
up and proclaim that no
one ever has the
authority to destroy
unborn life…. When
freedom is used to
dominate the weak, to
squander natural
resources and energy,
and to deny basic
necessities to people,
we will stand up and
reaffirm the demands of
justice and social love.
When the sick, the aged
or the dying are
abandoned in loneliness,
we will stand up and
proclaim that they are
worthy of love, care and
respect.
While there are many
threats to human life
and dignity, there are
also daily actions of
human love and kindness
and significant
developments at all
levels of society in
support of life.
Powerful affirmation of
the fundamental value of
human life was given by
the Supreme Court of
Canada this winter in
two unanimous decisions.
In refusing to
extradite two Canadian
citizens accused of
murder unless the United
States authorities
provided assurances that
they would not face the
death penalty, the Court
in the Burns and
Rafay case sent a
powerful message about
the great care that our
legal system must take
to protect the lives of
everyone, even if they
have been accused of the
most brutal crimes. In
upholding the conviction
and sentencing of Robert
Latimer for the murder
of his twelve-year-old
severely disabled
daughter, Tracy, the
Court made an eloquent
statement about the
value of each human life
and the role of the
state in protecting
human life especially
when it is most
vulnerable.
While we have been
disappointed by the
Court’s refusal to
protect unborn human
life in two other major
recent cases, we have
also been encouraged by
the Court’s
acknowledgment that
Parliament has the
authority to do so. On
the occasion of the
March for Life, we
reiterate our call for
legislation that will
effectively protect the
life of the unborn
child.
We also recommit
ourselves to do all that
we can in our families,
communities and parishes
to welcome and nourish
life. In marching for
life on May 11 and also
throughout the year, may
we all walk as
children of light for
the fruit of light is
found in all that is
good and right and true,
and try to learn what is
pleasing to the Lord.
( Eph 5; 8-10)
The
Catholic Organization
for Life and Family was
jointly founded by the
Canadian Conference of
Catholic Bishops and the
Knights of Columbus to
promote respect for
human life and human
dignity and the
essential role of the
family.
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