The interdenominational pro-life community's prayers and efforts over the past 35 years are impacting society and influencing public policy, said Cardinal Roger Mahony during the archdiocesan annual Respect Life Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Jan. 19.
A packed congregation of adults, children and babies from all over the archdiocese, plus several ecumenical and interfaith leaders, gathered for the liturgy concelebrated by nearly 20 Catholic clergy including Auxiliary Bishops Thomas Curry, Gerald Wilkerson and Alexander Salazar.
In his opening remarks, Cardinal Mahony said the event --- held on the nearest Saturday to the Jan. 22 anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade 1973 decision legalizing abortion --- was a time to pray for a change of heart "among individuals, groups and nations," and an opportunity to ask for the Lord's assistance in the ongoing task "to instill that sense of value of human life from natural conception to natural death."
"We cannot underestimate the power and the value of our prayers, sacrifices and efforts to change the minds and the attitudes of others," said Cardinal Mahony in his homily. He cited the occurrence of several "significant, positive" pro-life developments just since last year's Mass, including the April 2007 Supreme Court decision upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act passed by Congress in 2003.
"The Supreme Court for the first time since Roe v. Wade acknowledged the human dignity of the [unborn] infant [and offered] an alternative to abortion," said the cardinal.
He noted no less than four feature films last year --- "Bella," "Juno," "Knocked Up," and "Waitress" --- featured pregnant women with unplanned pregnancies who chose to carry their babies to term with two electing for adoption.
"Only one, 'Bella,' could be considered truly a pro-life family film … but the message in the others is astounding in that the outcome in these movies has an alternative to abortion," said Cardinal Mahony.
He also pointed out last year's stem cell breakthrough in which two independent researchers were able to reprogram adult skin cells to behave like embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos. And, lastly, in spite of the recent shift in Congress to a Democratic majority which favors abortion rights, "there was no major or minor abortion legislation passed," commented the cardinal.
"I think these are several very fine examples that the power of prayer is enormous, and it is prayer that changes hearts and minds and attitudes.… Let us thank God for the graces and, in a sense, the minor miracles of 2007 and pray that 2008 will continue to be a year in which, through our prayers and persuasion, we assist others, especially young women, to understand and value the great dignity of human life," said Cardinal Mahony.
Following Communion, Sister of Social Service Paula Vandegaer, a member of the archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Life Issues and founder/program director of International Life Services, introduced the annual ceremony of light commemorating the estimated 151 lives lost to abortion daily in the County of Los Angeles.
Reflecting recent news that abortion rates have fallen to their lowest level in 30 years, this year's commemoration of lives daily lost to abortion in the L.A. area was down by six from last year's number of 157. After dozens of parishioners brought up the candles which were placed in a ring around the altar by liturgical dancers, the Cathedral's lights were shut off in observance of 151 seconds of silence for each life daily extinguished locally by abortion.
First time participant Rose Schouest, who traveled to the event on one of two buses coming from the San Pedro parishes of Holy Trinity and Mary Star of the Sea, said she was deeply moved by the Mass. "It was so beautiful to see all the candles and [hear] the beautiful music," said Schouest, who attends a monthly Mass for the unborn.
Leslie McGiven, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ventura who rode the metro down to the Cathedral, said she came to the Respect Life Mass since she wasn't able to participate in last weekend's annual pro-life march in San Francisco. She said the Life Issues Conference held before the Mass at the Cathedral Conference Center was "very valuable," giving her a lot of information on the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells and allowing her to network with Catholics from around the archdiocese.
"I really was encouraged by the Cardinal's homily [concerning gains] made in the legislature and Hollywood. That's what I've felt all along. We have to pray but we also have to do things," said McGiven, who has spent 30 years ministering in the pro-life movement including spending last year in the Volunteers for Life program. |