Editor ’ s Notes
Defend , Celebrate , and Protect Life by Fr . Richard Bayuk , c . pp . s ., Editor
Speaking to those gathered for the recent 45th annual March for Life , President Trump said , " The March for Life is a movement born out of love . You love your families , you love your neighbors , you love our nation and you love every child — born and unborn — because you believe every life is sacred , that every child is a precious gift from God ." Good on him for making an appearance and speaking to the marchers and especially for those words . Words that would have held more sway for me if they had been uttered in the first person singular or plural (“ I believe , we believe that every life is sacred .”)
I cannot know and don ’ t want to judge what is in the hearts of those who “ march for life .” I do know , however , that for many people the focus is more anti-abortion than it is pro-life . I was heartened to hear the words of one marcher who said to a reporter that many marchers did so “ simply to promote the sanctity of life . We are in a moment in our country ,” he said , “ where life is at a crisis — be it life in the womb , be it the life of immigrants , be it the African-American male . We have a life crisis happening in our country .”
Pro-life is just that . Pro-life . It means trying to reduce and ideally eliminate abortions and the situations that compel people to have them . It means lots of other things as well . Preventing hunger and poverty ; supporting the terminally ill and the mentally ill ; religious freedom for everyone , even non-Christians ; LGBT people being able to live and work and worship as they desire ; fighting racism , bigotry , and homophobia ; fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn ’ t have them ; a living wage and health care ; an end to killing people who kill people ; compassion for immigrants and refugees ; working to combat climate change ; elimination of nuclear weapons ; working for peace ; living justly .
It would do us all good to take a hard look at the policies of our local , state , and federal governments , the views of politicians we vote for , and yes , the teachings of whatever faith tradition we are a member of and we subscribe to — and then ask ourselves how they fit with the above list ( which is not comprehensive , by the way ). And then , wherever and whenever we see and experience something that is anti-life , we march or speak or write letters or vote or all of the above . Everyone gets to believe what they want to believe , and I ’ m sure some readers will disagree with me , but I maintain we are not pro-life if we are in favor of nuclear weapons or the death penalty , or if we do not welcome the stranger or feed the hungry . continued on page 4
2 • The New Wine Press • February 2018