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September 2000
Letters
Romalis stabbing
The recent stabbing of abortionist Garson Romalis has provoked a now-predictable reaction of counter shouts: "Violence is wrong! You pro-lifers are to blame by your rhetoric!" - "We are not to blame. We also decry violence!"
In all this self-righteous posturing, by the pro-abortion and anti-abortion forces, some important truths have been overlooked.
First, Dr. Romalis, like every aborting doctor, is an extremely guilty man with much blood on his hands, and deserves to be punished. And he was indeed. Yes, illegally and wrongly, but still truly punished. God permitted that stabbing to happen, as He permits thousands of wrongdoings every day. Who are we to say that many of these acts were not punishments foreseen by God and brought on by the evil chains of events that we humans set in motion by our sinful ways?
In chapter 30, God says through Jeremiah, "Yes, Israel, I have struck you as an enemy strikes, with harsh punishment, so great is your guilt, so many your sins." But God did this punishing through the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar and his armies.
We should not pity Dr. Romalis for his stabbing wounds, we must pity him for his hard and sinful heart that lives by cruelly dismembering innocent, unborn babies.
At this point, the pro-abortion crowd shouts again: "There you go again, provoking violence by your inflammatory rhetoric! You cause the stabbings and shootings of doctors!"
Not so, friends. Here comes truth number two: You yourselves, and the courts and the governments are causing the violence. You do it by forbidding peaceful protest against abortion. You arrest decent grandmothers who try to counsel abortion-minded moms at the abortuary entrance. You force us all to pay the huge costs of abortion by our taxes. You torture Operation Rescuers who are trying to save lives. You cause multiple post-abortion traumas (and yes, sometimes death) on many of your clients. You injure or destroy marriages and relationships. Do you not see, can you not feel the boiling pressure of anger and indignation that you provoke in our pro-life hearts? We strive to be peaceful. But you know some individuals are unbalanced. If they explode, you must bear the blame. The solution to abortion violence is in your hands.
(Rev.) Stephen Somerville
Queensville, Ont.
Capital punishment
With reference to two letters in your July 2000 issue arguing the incompatibility of pro-life and capital punishment, there seems to be a distinct divergence among pro-lifers. One hesitates to dignify this divergence by invoking the notion of ecumenism, unless it be an ecumenism which is spurious, false, and meaningless.
The Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent decreed by Pope St. Pius V (who inspired the Rosary Crusade which obtained the miraculous victory of Lepanto) and written around 1566 under the direction of St. Charles Borromeo, states the following about capital punishment:
"Another kind of lawful slaying belongs to the civil authorities, to whom is entrusted power of life and death, by the legal and judicious exercise of which they punish the guilty and protect the innocent. The just use of this power, far from involving the crime of murder, is an act of paramount obedience to this Commandment, (the fifth in the Catholic Bible), which prohibits murder. The end of the Commandment is the preservation and security of human life; now the punishments inflicted by the civil authority, which is the legitimate avenger of crime, naturally tend to this end since they give security to life by repressing outrage and violence. Hence these words of the Psalmist: ‘In the morning I put to death all the wicked of the land, that I might cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord.'"
However, some think that Vatican II so re-vamped Catholicism as to negate and annihilate practically everything taught over the previous centuries in the name of tradition, order, doctrinal integrity and organic unity with the apostles. These might refer to the new Catechism of the Catholic Church authorized by the present Pope, Section 2266:
"Preserving the common good of society requires rendering the aggressor unable to inflict harm. For this reason the traditional teaching of the Church has acknowledged as well-founded the right and duty of legitimate public authority to punish malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty. For analogous reasons those holding authority have the right to repel by armed force aggressors against the community in their charge."
It would seem therefore that, all things being equal, that is, justice and right judgment and worthy public ministers of justice obtaining, capital punishment is an integral part, and not a hostile antagonist of a true pro-life position.
D. Apps
Burford, Ont.
CWL I
The CWL of St. Ambrose Parish in Cambridge, Ont. has not voted on the issue of continuing its membership in the national CWL, contrary to the August Interim report, which said we will now function as a ladies auxiliary.
At an executive meeting, the executive decided to put three options before its 200 members. First option: carry on as is. Second option: let the council fold. Third option: continue as a ladies' auxiliary.
Five out of seven executive members are determined not to carry on as an accredited CWL council. However, we are paid-up members until the end of the year. The 200 members of the CWL council will be informed by letter of everything that has happened since the March for Women controversy began, and will be asked to state their preference. Our General Meeting is scheduled for September 11.
Adrian van den Enden
Cambridge, Ont.
CWL II
The national and provincial executives of The Catholic Women's League should have investigated the agenda and the demands of the organizers of the March of Women. It would appear that this was not done, with the result that the CWL has given its support to the March. To the best of my knowledge and information, the organizers' agenda is pro-abortion or, in other words, anti-life.
In conscience, I remain steadfast in my decision to cancel my membership in the CWL. I cannot go along with Catholic women who affiliate themselves with an organization which has no respect for the unborn. How the CWL can support initiatives that condemn violence against women, and then turn a blind eye to the inherent violence of abortion, is beyond comprehension. The greatest violence against women and their unborn children is abortion.
I would like to state that I am extremely proud of Cardinal Ambrozic for withdrawing the support of the Toronto Archdiocese from this March. Would that the Catholic Women's League had the wisdom and the courage to do the same!
(Mrs.) Anne Bennett
Rexdale, Ont.
CWL III
I was very disappointed with your report, "CWL World March vote disappointing" (August 2000). The Catholic Women's League of Canada has been consistently pro-life through its 80-year history. It has reached out to the unwed mother, the immigrant and the poor, and formed alliances with pro-life organizations.
The World March main objectives are to combat poverty and violence to women, which are often underlying causes of abortion. Unfortunately there is a group involved with the March promoting lesbian marriage and abortion. The CWL has publicly disassociated itself from these causes.
The Vatican participated in the population conference in Cairo and the women's conference in Beijing even though it didn't agree with the whole agenda. This is the same situation in which the CWL finds itself. The Vatican wanted its viewpoint and influence felt. This is why the CWL has decided to support the March in its two main objectives - to combat violence to women and poverty.
In fairness, you should have interviewed Betty Anne Brown, Ontario provincial CWL president, before writing this article. I am saddened by your biased reporting on the Catholic Women's League - a valiant group of Catholic women working for God and Canada to promote Christian family life and values.
Msgr. Louis McCloskey
Manitoba Provincial CWL Spiritual Advisor
West Saint Paul, Man.
Show the Truth
I am surprised and puzzled at the same time as to why after four years of Show the Truth Canada so little has been reported in The Interim. On Aug. 24 my husband and I were part of the Show the Truth tour for one day in Toronto. We stood twice on an overpass at the Don Valley Parkway during the busy hour, and twice that day we went to Scott's abortuary. During our lunch break we had the privilege to meet with Joe Scheidler - the number-one man in the U.S. who is giving his whole life to fight for the rights of the unborn. He is also the author of the book about 99 ways to close abortuaries. He said for the last 30 years we have been trying to convert politicians, letter campaigns, and protests, urge clergy to speak up, all to no avail. He said Show the Truth is the way to go. It has closed abortuaries in the U.S., and he himself has taken part in it. We have to convert the people one by one.
My husband and I have been part of the Show the Truth tour for the last three years. Showing the pictures of abortion definitely has an impact on people. A picture tells a thousand words. It worked for the animal rights people - remember those pictures of seals? Now they have better laws for animals then we have for unborn babies.
I think the time has come that all pro-lifers should put their full support behind Show the Truth. Come out personally, or if you're not able, support the tour financially. Thousands of pieces of information are handed out, and people are reading it like they never have seen any of this before. We don't know how many babies might be alive today because their mothers have seen our pictures or read this material. Plan now to join the next tour. For information you can call Rosemary at (705) 454-1109.
Alida van der Vegt
Peterborough, Ont.
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