On the afternoon of Sunday, July, 27, 2008, close to five hundred of the faithful filled the tremendous Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament that Mother Angelica built in Hanceville, Alabama. They were gathered for the funeral of three children — Karen Esther, Enoch, and Rebekah.
The three children were all in the same small white […]

“God chose us in Christ, before the world began, to be holy and blameless in his sight” (See Ephesians 1:5).
On Saturday, July 12 I had the joy of baptizing three babies, chosen by God from all eternity to live. A cause of particular joy and celebration was that two of these babies were rescued from […]

Hundreds of people gathered around me, as the little children’s casket was placed next to the open grave into which it would shortly be lowered.
I prayed the words of the Church’s liturgy, “Tender Shepherd of the flock, Rachael, Joshua, Victoria, Adam, Mary, Jacob, and Grace now lie cradled in your love…. Comfort us with the […]

In part 1 of this series on “Ending Abortion the Church’s Way,” we reflected on the fact that the pro-life movement goes beyond the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church, and that it is a specifically Catholic attitude to embrace those of other religious persuasions in the defense of life. We also warned against a […]

The US bishops have issued a very clear statement on embryonic stem cell research. It does not dwell upon the scientific nuances of the issue, but rather assists the reader to focus on the moral issues involved. The statement is not marked by condemnation, but rather by explanation. It is not a rejection of research […]

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year, therefore, marks its 60th anniversary and provides us an opportunity to examine some themes in the Declaration which deserve special emphasis.
The Declaration asserts, “[E]veryone has the right to life” (Article 3). This, of […]

To say that only Christ in and through His Church can ultimately conquer abortion is not a pious platitude, nor is it a fancy way of saying, “Jesus, help us fight abortion.” Nor is it an elitist way of excluding from the cause of life those who have different religious affiliations.
Rather, it is to say […]

Abortion will end.
The premise of Priests for Life is that abortion will end through the Church, because Christ has conquered death, and it is He who works through each of us to bring this victory to every segment of our society.
By the ”Church,” I mean the entire Body of Christ. Pope John Paul II, in The […]

On Saturday, May 3, a funeral is schedule in Michigan. Bishop John Quinn of Detroit will offer the Mass for twenty-five babies who were murdered in nearby abortion mills, and their burial will follow. The bodies of these babies were retrieved in February and March from the garbage dumpsters behind “Woman Care” abortion mills, owned […]

Abortion is largely a problem of mothers afraid to be mothers. That may be one of the reasons why there is such a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother within the Catholic element of the pro-life movement.
Let’s look at a few of the links between our beliefs about the Virgin Mary and our pro-life convictions.
There […]

We in the pro-life community have been fed up for a long time with “public servants” who can’t seem to tell the difference between serving the public and killing the public. They mask the violence of abortion with the smooth language of “choice,” and refuse to protect the victims.

I can't wait for November 4, because on that day, by voting, I'm going to exercise a key aspect of my citizenship in the United States and in the Kingdom of God.

In many states, people can vote before November 4, thanks to the provisions of "early voting" — which is a very good idea, given the many unforeseen circumstances that could arise on Election Day to get between us and the voting booth. (To see what the rules are in your state, visit www.priestsforlife.org/states).

Three years ago, I wrote a column called "The Party Matters," in which I stated, "Voters need to ask how much the election of a particular candidate will shift the balance of power between the parties, and what will happen when a particular party takes control. Voters should know the platform of the party and the official positions of party leadership on the same moral issues on which the individual candidate is evaluated…In short, the party matters."

Some criticized these statements, complaining that they are partisan. Yet it is time to restate and reaffirm that Yes, the party matters.

What's this I hear from some people that they might "sit out" the Presidential election because they aren't comfortable with the likely choice of candidates?
Since when are elections supposed to make us "comfortable?" Since when do we exercise that right to vote, for which people fought and died, only when it's easy and clear-cut, and […]

Inside the Vatican magazine has named Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life, as one of the Top Ten People of 2007. She has become one of the leading voices for the unborn in America and in the world.
This award is a sign of the times […]

Question: "When abortion becomes illegal again, are we going to start throwing all the women who have abortions into jail?"
Answer: No. The people who should go to jail in that case are the abortionists.
This particular question will be raised more and more as we to come closer to restoring protection to the unborn. The […]

I was a parish priest in Staten Island, New York. On most Saturdays, I joined the local pro-life activists to picket a local abortionist's office. One of the most faithful of these activists was Bob Landvogt, and I'll always remember the day he pulled me aside there on the sidewalk and passionately declared, "Fr. Frank, […]

"Each year you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed" (Preface of Lent 1).
The purpose of Lent is succinctly expressed by this preface. Catechumens prepare for baptism into the paschal mystery. The faithful are reminded of their baptisms, and will renew their baptismal vows […]

Even from death row, you can change history and save lives.
Two death-sentenced Kentucky prisoners have a grievance which the Supreme Court recently agreed to hear. In the case of Baze v. Rees, the inmates argue that the method of execution most commonly used — that is, lethal injection — violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of […]

When a candidate for public office is wrong on abortion, he or she cannot be right on the other issues.
"Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the 'rightness' of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community" (US […]

One of the most common questions I receive is, "What happens to aborted babies? Do they go to heaven? Should we pray for them?"
Pope John Paul II, in The Gospel of Life, speaks directly to those who have had abortions, and tells them, "To the same Father and to his mercy you can with sure […]

The goods of the earth have been given for all. We are to share those goods not simply when we don't need them, but also when we do. There is, indeed, a theology of giving.
Giving, whether of our time, talent, or treasure, is based on the example God himself gives us by creating us […]

Much of the success of our pro-life efforts depends on our own humility. As we lead or participate in pro-life groups, whether on the local or national level, five commandments can significantly enhance our efforts.
1. Keep an open mind about what the best strategies and tactics are. Is this the right time for a […]

[Editor's note: This article contains some graphic passages describing aborted babies and may not be suitable for all readers.] 
Some years ago, a phone call came into a Milwaukee police department. Children were throwing stones off of a bridge, the officer was told. When police arrived at the scene, they asked the children what they were throwing. […]

Dr. McArthur Hill used to kill babies for a living. Now he has repented. At a conference of former abortionists, he shared the nightmares he had:
"In my nightmares I would deliver a healthy newborn baby and I would take that healthy newborn baby and I would hold it up, and I would face a jury […]

September 5, 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa. Now declared "Blessed," she continues to inspire disciples of Christ worldwide.
My own interaction with her came shortly after I took leadership of Priests for Life. I asked if I could visit with her in Calcutta, and spent a week with her in […]

I recently received a letter from my young friend, Guadalupe. I first met her only a couple of months after she was conceived. Her mom Helene was in the waiting room of an abortion mill in Orlando, Florida, and Guadalupe was about to become one of the 4000 children who are put to death each […]

An ancient saying tells us, "Where there's life, there's hope." The truth of that statement was demonstrated powerfully by an experience that two of our medical advisors at Priests for Life recently related to us.
Dr. Matthew Harrison had a visit from a 20-year old woman named Ashley. She was seven weeks pregnant, but she feared […]

One of my favorite pro-life shirts is the one that says, "100% Pro-life, Without Exception, Without Compromise, Without Apology."
That's exactly the stand each of us is called to take; in fact, it is the only pro-life stance. Abortion is an intrinsic evil. It is evil by its very nature, and that evil is not altered […]

The April 18 Supreme Court decision, Gonzales v. Carhart, by which the Court upheld the ban on partial-birth abortion, is one of the most important Supreme Court decisions on abortion, and lays the groundwork for much future progress on this issue. 
By permitting this federal ban to stand, the Court also reaffirms certain rights of individual […]

It was 3:20 on the morning of March 13, 1964. Kitty Genovese, who managed a nearby bar, was just getting home from work when she was attacked while walking toward her apartment building in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York. She screamed that she had been stabbed. Lights of nearby apartments went on, windows opened, the attacker […]

In the Church there are all kinds of missions, ministries, and charisms. Many communities have sprung up throughout the centuries, in which Christians have come together to grow in holiness, and to carry out a particular service to others. Some communities teach, some feed the poor, some tend to the sick in hospitals, some minister […]

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld the ban on partial-birth abortion that was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in 2003. This is an event of historic progress for the pro-life cause, whose ultimate goal is to restore protection to every unborn child, at every stage of development. For the first […]

If we think of hell, we might imagine screams coming out of the flames, or the sinister laughter of the devil. But the sound I recently heard coming from there was that of applause.
What I heard was an audiotape of Dr. Martin Haskell giving a presentation at the 16th Annual Meeting of the National Abortion […]

The sacredness of human life is a theme that permeates Scripture. It is not difficult to preach on this theme from any Biblical passage. We continue here to trace Biblical themes on the sanctity of life. (For Part 1, click here.)
5. The Bible teaches that God is a God of justice.
An act of justice is […]

An 11-year-old girl who is a supporter of Priests for Life sent me the following email very recently: "My mother and I are taking a bus and will be coming to the March for Life. My teacher said that I will receive zeroes on any work that I miss and it can't be made up. […]

On February 22, 1987 — that is, twenty years ago — the Catholic Church gave our society a tremendous gift, and it's time to open it again. It was a clear trumpet blast of truth and compassion, a ray of Gospel light on problems that continue to be some of the most vexing of our […]

One of the key reasons that protection to the unborn has not yet been restored in law, and that public officials are not making the case persuasively to their colleagues that protection has to be restored to the unborn, is that the problem continues to be presented as a matter of viewpoints rather than victims.
Whether […]

The push for pre-natal diagnostic tests for pregnant mothers just became stronger. Recently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists began recommending that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered a choice of tests to determine whether her baby has Down's Syndrome. The reason for this recommendation is, first of all, that although the […]

Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas is a man you want to know if you care about human rights. Whether you're talking about the poor in Africa or the unborn child scheduled to be killed by abortion, you will find an advocate for them in Senator Sam Brownback.
For us in the pro-life movement, Senator Brownback is […]

The sacredness of human life is a theme that permeates Scripture. The Bible clearly teaches that abortion is wrong. This teaching comes across in many ways and for many reasons. Some people point out that the word "abortion" is not in the Bible, and that is true. Nevertheless, the teaching about abortion is there. This […]

Some years ago, a class of students was asked to write about the meaning of Christmas. One student wrote, "Christmas is when Christians celebrate Christ." The teacher liked the paper, but asked the student to change that one line to "Christmas is when people celebrate love."
What, some may wonder, is the difference? After all, Christians […]

In my current series of columns, I've been examining the fact that the price to be paid for doing abortions is life as an abortionist. It is, in many ways, its own punishment, and the examples we have given of how it destroys the personality are only the tip of the iceberg.
[…]

I’m often asked what a voter can morally do if two opposing candidates both support abortion. I recommend asking a simple question: Which of the two candidates will do less harm to unborn children if elected?
For example, is either of the candidates willing at least to ban partial-birth abortion? Is either of them willing to […]

Public opinion on abortion has been remarkably stable since Roe vs. Wade. (Most Americans reject legal abortion except in circumstances of rape, incest, and preserving the mother’s physical life and health.) Movement in public opinion has been in the pro-life direction, and the most visible movement came when the reality of partial-birth abortion first came […]

“The Centurion who stood at the foot of the cross of Christ suddenly became horrified at the crucifixion he was ordered to carry out. When Christ died, this Centurion dropped his sword and fell to his knees exclaiming, 'Surely, this was an innocent man!'
“Those of us who have participated in the killing of unborn children […]

Violence done against human beings involves three types of people: the Perpetrator, the Victim, and the Observer. This is known as the “Tragic Triangle.” In child abuse, the child is the victim, the abuser is the perpetrator, and those who come to know of the abuse as it is going on are the observers.
Abortion also […]

There are pro-life people who work in Hollywood, and two of them — Jonathan and Deborah Flora — have created a new tool to help the American people wrestle with abortion. A Distant Thunder is a powerful new 35-minute film that combines courtroom drama and supernatural warfare to help reveal the reality of what abortion […]

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, and an eyewitness to Terri Schiavo’s final hours, released the following open letter to Michael Schiavo. Fr. Pavone read it to a worldwide audience on an internationally broadcast religious service on Sunday morning, March 26.
A year ago this week, I stood by the bedside of the […]

“He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites — all their sins — and put them on the goat’s head” (Lv 16:21a).
With these words the Bible explains the origin of Yom Kippur, the “Day of Atonement.” It is […]