Denver Catholic

2 OCTOBER 12-25, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE OCT. 13: Mass, Blessing of the New Altar & Renovation, St. Scholastica, Erie (11:30 a.m.) OCT. 17: Saint John Paul II Lecture Series, St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Denver (7:30 p.m.) OCT. 23: Confi rmation Mass, Immaculate Conception, Lafayette (7 p.m.) @ArchbishopDen Oct. 2 The 3 Catholic dioceses of CO begin a victims reparations program for those abused as minors by clergy. No matter how long ago the abuse occurred, we hope anyone who is still su ering will come forward. If any survivor wishes to meet personally with me, my door is open. +sja Coloradans have chance to rescue the unborn S ome people in our pews today can remember the time when abortion was not legal. But the rest of you who are fi lling the seats in our churches, working various jobs across northern Colorado and living next door are survivors. You may not realize it, but more than 50 million people who should be alive today are not because they were aborted. Each of us is blessed that our mothers and fathers chose life for us, even when that meant life being very di• cult for them. The recent revelations that the abortion provider Ulrich Klopfer kept the remains of 2,246 aborted children in his home, or the gruesome scenes brought to light by the trial of Kermit Gosnell lay bare the reality of what happens in abortion into clear focus.† Abor- tion is the violent taking of innocent, defenseless life, and the fact that this is legal in the United States is abhorrent.† Many people ask me what they can do to respond to this grave injustice. We must fi rst and foremost pray for mothers and fathers who believe that they have no other choice than abortion. We must pray that their hearts are opened to God's mercy and experience his forgiveness, no matter what they have done. At the same time, we should be ready to materially assist those women who fi nd themselves considering abortion. That is why we have been working to expand our Marisol Health Clinics in recent years. We must be using every resource we have — medical care, food, shelter, counseling and friend- ship — to love Jesus as he comes to us via those in need. Yes, we should be moved by the tragedy of how many innocent lives are being snu' ed out by abortion, but we should not allow this injustice to let us overlook the su' ering of the mothers and fathers who are often driven by fear to consider abortion. Similarly, we must not lose sight of the fact that those who work at abortion clinics believe that they are doing good, that they are helping people in need. Are we praying for these clinic workers? Are we treating them with kindness, even if they do not accept it? In addition to physical, emo- tional, and prayerful assistance, we can limit the number of unborn children threatened by abortion in the legal realm. Several states have made progress in passing laws that seek to protect women and unborn children. Just this week, for exam- ple, we have learned that the United States Supreme Court will hear the case challenging Louisiana's Unsafe Abortion Protection Act, which requires†abortionists to have admit- ting privileges at a local hospital. In Colorado, we have some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country. Currently, there is no point up until birth at which a baby cannot be aborted. Thankfully, Col- orado voters will have the chance in the coming months to help children whose lives are at risk by signing a petition to qualify Proposition 120 for the November 2020 ballot. This proposition will restrict abortion to a maximum age of 22 weeks gestation, the point at which it is possible for a child to live on its own outside its mother's womb. I urge all Catholics to get involved in this e' ort! The bishops of Colorado and I have given permission to every pastor to allow trained signature gatherers to ask for signatures at every Catholic church in the state. It is important that those asking for sig- natures be trained so that we obtain the maximum number of certifi able signatures possible. The fi ght against the culture of death is a long-term battle. In some ways known only to God, it will not be won until the second coming of Jesus Christ. However, we must not let up in our e' orts to ensure that the good- ness of every human life is respected in our laws, our churches and our families. It is my fervent prayer that in future generations, none of us will have to say that we are a survivor of abortion and that this great travesty is replaced by a culture of life. If people in your parish are interested in being involved in this eŸ ort and would like to receive the training to collect signatures, please have them send an email to: life@ccdenver.org. i Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila processes with other bishops into St. Peter's Basilica in Rome Oct. 3 to celebrate the ordinations of seminar- ians studying in Rome. Chris Marbury of Denver was ordained to the transitional diaconate. PHOTO BY DANIEL IBANEZ | CNA PHOTO BY JOSHUA REDDEKOPP | UNSPLASH

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