Last Friday was the 45th annual March for Life. I love going as often as I can. There are many reasons why. First, because I love standing up for those who have no voice. Before these babies can even cry with their voice, they have been killed. By taking their lives, their say in abortion is muted. Over 60 million babies have been aborted in the US alone since the fateful decision of Roe v. Wade. The irony of this court hearing is that Jane Roe never even wanted an abortion, and in fact never did get the abortion. I encourage you to look up her story. In fact, later in life, “Jane Roe,” who is Norma McCorvey, became a very strong advocate to end abortion. Even more interesting is that Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who has been quoted as finding many deaths from illegal abortions, admitted that he made up those numbers of “coat-hanger” abortions. So the science behind abortion proves to be false and allowed in court. Yet at the same time during the court hearings, the science of sonograms was not allowed; true science was thrown out of court, while falsified information was allowed in. It seems that this still goes on today in the news and colleges.
This brings me to another point. What a beautiful day it was! Not because of the good weather, which did help. It was seeing all of the teens and young adults singing and sharing the love. The March for Life is not a Catholic event, but those who attend are predominantly Catholic. It is thoroughly a Catholic environment, as it was meant to be. Everybody cares for each other. There are no hateful words to each other, except for pro-abortion advocates that come and get nasty. People are helping others in restaurants, hotels, and at the Basilica. We hear conversion stories, stories of suffering, sin and grace. We all rejoice in God’s goodness and mercy. We pray a lot and shout out, “we love babies, yes we do!” It is an event filled with love, joy, and always willing the good for the other. Every time I go it is that way. Jesus is surely there.
But when we think of life, it comes before all other rights. If I am not alive, I cannot eat, I cannot have any possessions, I cannot speak, and I cannot even have an opinion in this world. It is the primary right that comes before I can even obtain any other right. That is why the right to life is of the first concern in the eyes of the church. That is why it should be the first concern in politics, government, and morals. That is why murder is so bad. That is why Church law says that anybody who partakes of abortion is excommunicated by the very act of doing it. Life is the primary right before all other rights.