Archbishop Burke: Safeguarding embryonic human life: Our civic and religious duty

Introduction

Faced with the grave moral crisis of Amendment 2, we are called to speak for and fight for our tiniest brothers and sisters who cannot speak for themselves or fight to defend themselves. Ultimately, we are called to vote for the safeguarding of embryonic human life by voting "no" on the ballot for Amendment 2 on this coming Nov. 7. Fundamental to whatever we do is the prayer which we offer to God, asking for His help and for His blessing on our efforts. Our opposition to Amendment 2 has been characterized as a situation similar to David going against Goliath. The proponents of Amendment 2 have seemingly endless funds with which to use the communications media and other means to advance their deadly project. What is more, they have the strong support of certain influential public figures. Without the guidance and help of God’s grace, we will not succeed in defending the most defenseless human lives.

Prayer: First means of defending human life

As your shepherd, I urge you to pray fervently each day to God for the safeguarding of embryonic human life in our state. In particular, I ask you to pray the rosary, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of her tiniest and youngest children. Please join our Archdiocesan Rosary Crusade for the safeguarding of embryonic human life. A most helpful prayer leaflet of the Rosary Crusade is available in your parish and from the Respect Life Apostolate of the archdiocese.

At other times in the history of the Church, when Christians seemed powerless before the forces of destruction and death, the faithful have prayed the rosary, imploring God’s mercy and strength. I think of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. All of Christian Europe, at the urging of the Holy Father, prayed the rosary for the victory of the Christian forces against the seemingly invincible Turkish forces. Against all reasonable predictions, the Christian forces won.

Each year, when we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Oct. 7, we recall the power of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of her children at the Battle of Lepanto and in so many other desperate situations. Let us not fail to call upon her help in our urgent need. Please pray the rosary or, at least, some part of the rosary every day, asking our Blessed Mother to intercede for the safeguarding of embryonic human life.

Acts of reparation and sacrifices

The gravity of the situation also calls for acts of reparation for the grave sin of the attack on innocent and defenseless human life in our society. When we consider how gravely offensive to God is our lack of respect for human life which He has created in His own image and likeness and has redeemed with the Most Precious Blood of His only-begotten Son, we are inspired to make reparation, to offer prayers and sacrifices to God in sorrow for acts of human cloning and acts of deliberate destruction of human embryos.

By our fasting and other sacrifices, we purify our own consciences of the confusion regarding what is morally right and wrong. At the same time, we are strengthened to give clear and effective witness to the truth about human life. We also win strength for others who may be struggling in fulfilling their call to safeguard all human life, from the moment of inception to the moment of natural death.

Are we religious zealots or fanatics?

There are many aspects to the whole situation of our voting on Amendment 2, which, to be frank, are absurd. It is, first of all, absurd that we should even be asked to consider guaranteeing constitutionally the right to generate human life artificially for the sake of destroying it.

A great absurdity in the whole initiative to convince the citizens of Missouri to vote for Amendment 2 is the accusation that those who oppose the amendment are religious zealots or fanatics. The characterization deflects attention from the scientific truth that the human embryo is a human life. Opposition to Amendment 2 is not a question of religious fanaticism or zealotry. It is a question of responding to the natural law written upon every human heart, which demands that we safeguard and promote human life at all stages of its development, from the moment of inception to the moment of natural death.

Yes, our religious faith gives us divine grace for obeying the dictates of the natural moral law, but it does not alter the law of nature, known by every man or woman of good will. The love of Christ in our hearts helps us immeasurably in our care for all our brothers and sisters, including the tiniest and most defenseless among us, but our defense of their right to life is not a matter of some peculiarly religious doctrine or practice.

It will not surprise you that the opponents of Amendment 2 include scientists, doctors and other medical professionals, philosophers, religious leaders, lawyers and people of various works and professions. They belong to various Christian denominations and religious faiths. What unites them is their obedience to the natural moral law which recognizes the human embryo as human life and is committed to safeguard and defend it.

Archbishop Burke's 9/29/06 Column.