Archbishop Carlson's Call

From the pen of Saint Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson:

A few years ago, I was asked why the Church devotes so much attention to abortion among all the challenges to life we face today, including end-of-life issues, capital punishment, HIV/AIDS, war, poverty, embryonic stem cell research, homelessness and more.

My answer was simple: abortion is the most serious challenge to the sacredness of human life because unborn children are the most vulnerable members of society and the most in need of our protection. They are innocent victims who must rely completely on the care and protection of others — first of all on their mothers and, ultimately, on all of us who are God's family...

In his final address as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago, made the following statement: "Consistently, and ever more insistently since the sin and crime of abortion was legalized in the United States, our voice has been that of bishops of the Catholic Church ever since the first Christians condemned the abortion practices of ancient Romans. The act is immoral; and the laws that have permitted now 50 million children of our country to be killed in their mothers' wombs are also immoral and unjust; the laws are destroying our society." These are strong words that must be spoken — over and over again — until abortion becomes a thing of the past here in our archdiocese, in our country and throughout the world.

Archbishop Carlson's columns are excellent. He routinely and fearlessly confronts the big issues facing society, issues that too many leaders, even in the Church unfortunately, are loath to touch.