THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

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June 22, 2008

The Good News...

...Our Failure! Our Challenge!

God creates every human person in His own Image and Likeness. It is this origin and identity that constitutes the intrinsic dignity of the human person. The plan of God ap-plies to all human beings. Therefore, we must always respect, care for and preserve all human life from conception to death.

This is the Catholic Church teaching. This is the obligation and responsibility all of us have as Catholic people. We must protect the lives of the unborn.

This past week, our local newspaper stated: “Oklahoma County prosecutors charged three Oklahoma City gang members Friday with first-degree murder after a 7-week-old fetus died following a May 31 shooting near SE 21 and Byers Avenue.  

“None of the six people shot had life-threatening injuries, but a bullet hit a pregnant 14-year-old, according to an officer’s affidavit. It is believed the trauma caused the death of her fetus.”

 I concur with the prosecutors and the law invoked here. The attack which the gang members carried out was wrong. If their wrong action caused the death of the unborn child, they will be found guilty of murder.

At the same time, there are other babies in the womb who are targeted and killed by abortion. The action that kills them is just as wrong and results in the same tragedy, death of the child. In fact, this action is even more evil than that of the gang members. Abortion is more evil be-cause the parents seek to terminate the life of the child and the doctors and clinic staffers take direct violent action against the defenseless child.

Yes, abortion is indeed the greatest of all evils because it kills a de-fenseless human being. It can never be justified. It can never be condoned. Abortion always targets the child with intentional destruction resulting in death.

How did it happen then that abortion ever became legal in a country that had been established on the principle of respecting the inalienable right to life?

I believe abortion was legalized and continues to be legally available because GOOD PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I HAVE FAILED TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN! Therefore, this, our own failure we must now see as a challenge. A challenge to save innocent lives. Unlike some challenges, however, this one is not an option. It is a most serious obligation and responsibility for everyone who professes faith in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

What can we do? What must we do?

First and foremost, we must humbly and sincerely pray that the Lord of life will have mercy on us; will forgive us and help us to re-establish a culture of life.

Secondly, we must actively reach out to help those who have been duped by society and, as parents or medical workers have suffered the trauma and after-effects of abortion.

Thirdly, and very appropriately this year, we must elect to office only those candidates who will actually work to support the pro-life cause. No matter how much other good work an elected official promises or even accomplishes, it will be of no lasting value. The world will become a better place in which to live only when each human life is respected and seen as a child of God. Let us rise to that challenge now in prayer and work and action. Don’t just talk about it, but do it!