Abortion Happens, It’s Nobody’s Fault, Deal With It

Today, outside St. Francis of Assisi and St. Paul’s Catholic Churches before Mass, I protested the killing of unborn babies using my regular signage.

At St. Francis of Assisi the priest came out and asked me to remove myself from the premises (even though I stood on public property, not Church property). I apologized and told him I couldn’t do that. He asked me why I was there with my signs and I told him I had a pamphlet that would explain my presence. He declined to take my pamphlet but did advise me that he would call the police if I didn’t leave. Otherwise my 30 minute protest did not elicit any other conversation.

UPDATED: OOPS! Just reviewed the video and realized a lady parishioner came up to me shortly after I talked to the priest and took issue with the abortion-contraception link noted on my sign, claiming that contraception is the answer to (preventing) abortion. When I reminded her that Church teaching forbids contraception she said the Church forbids lots of things and that the Church needs to change! Wonder where she gets those ideas?

At St. Paul’s I had a woman approach me at about the 8 minute mark, quite upset and offended that I should be protesting abortion in front of a Catholic Church, of all places! She said she was a nurse and knew all about “this”. She informed me that “it’s not the Catholic Church that is committing abortion” and that it’s not for me to judge those who have abortions. “You should get outta here!” and then stormed off. We never got to the contraception part.

Another gentlemen came along a few minutes later, quite calm, and asked me to turn my sign so he could read it. He wondered why I was there and what Catholics had to do with abortion, if anything. We conversed a little and I explained to him that it was under a succession of Catholic Prime Ministers in Canada that abortion became legal and that these Prime Ministers fought publicly for a “woman’s right to choose” abortion and yet their priests and bishops treated them like good and faithful parishioners. The man took my pamphlet and told me that he would have the priest discuss the issue with the people as soon as possible. It was certainly one of the more rational and sincere exchanges I’ve had while carrying these signs.

Another parishioner stopped to talk with me as well. I believe he was a member of a church group that considered itself pro-life, possible the K of C. Some of his comments were quite outrageous and downright callous, such as “once they’re dead they’re dead” so that’s the end of it, there’s nothing we can do. He didn’t want to talk at all about the children who were killed. His focus was, “What are you doing for the ones who are alive?” And apparently there’s more than one aspect to abortion, he said, and I was pointing out just one of those aspects. The mothers are another aspect. Seems I’ve heard that one before. He had accepted the “fact” that there are times when abortion is necessary! Even though I pointed out that with modern medical science abortion is never necessary.

Shocking stuff, some of it. I’ve got the video and I may upload it to YouTube if I get time to edit it and put it together.

Bottom line, according to all parties reporting, it seems, abortion happens—and will continue to happen—and nobody’s to blame, certainly not Catholics. Nobody says it’s pretty but you’re preaching to the choir (and wasting your time here!) because everyone knows we’re all against it. And, besides, some of us are already busy doing pro-life work, helping the Moms and putting up memorials.

Weren’t the German folks who lived outside the death camps in Nazi Germany saying something similar at the time?