Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1473400
6 JULY 2022 | DENVER CATHOLIC For many years, Gallup polling indicates that the major- ity of Americans polled do not support unlimited access to abortion and do not agree with late-term abortions. Some advocates try to justify late-term abortions by citing seri- ous birth defects. Yet, when you talk to former abortion- ists, they acknowledge that is simply not true. Late-term abortions are done on perfectly healthy children because they were "unwanted" or "inconvenient." Our response must always be, "Please, no child is unwanted. Someone, somewhere would love to care for this child." Let's work to persuade the people of Colorado that we can do better than RHEA, which is an abortion-on-de- mand policy akin to China and North Korea. That isn't what we want for our beautiful state. Ignoring the basic right to life is denying the foundation upon which all other rights are built. May our Lord of Life raise up holy people and bring forth a new recognition of civil rights for everyone. To do that, we need to strategize how we're going to move forward as the Church in Colorado. There are at least two areas of focus: preventing abortion and also min- istering to those who are post-abortive. Recognize first that this is a spiritual battle. We can pray specific prayers and we know that God honors fast- ing; novenas have proven power. We need to support local life-affirming efforts and education, learn basic apolo- getics on life issues (which the Respect Life Denver office provides) while encouraging our priests and deacons to preach on life issues. We must create wise and winsome ways to reach out to the desperate "abortion tourists" who will be entering our state, thinking they are alone and have no other choice. Abortion is traumatic for women — physically, emotion- ally, psychologically and spiritually. We need to be there for them and help empower them to make wiser choices that have positive life-long consequences. Catholic Charities of Denver is at the ready with a myriad of services that offer the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. That includes providing food, shelter, counseling, medical services, affordable housing, immi- gration services, early childhood education, diapers and much more. Try calling any abortion provider and ask if they offer ANY of these services. The answer will be "no." For a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, we want her to view the Church and its merciful outreach as the first place — not the last — that she turns. We must be the steadfast place of hope and peace that she so desper- ately needs. Another area of focus is on post-abortive women and men. It has been estimated that one in four women have had an abortion by their mid-40s — and just as many men may have experienced that loss, as well. These wounded adults might be in our pews. They may have never stepped foot in a church since the abortion. We need to understand the profoundly negative effect of abortion on women, men and their families. If Catholic, these walking wounded may have never confessed an abortion in the sacrament of Confession. Or, they may have done so several times. They may be faced with a fear that God will never forgive them. They may fear rejection from friends and family. They may struggle with situations and reminders that trigger guilt, or may experience anniversary reactions and nightmares. They may not realize the correlation between their current rela- tionship struggles and a past abortion. It can be the source of profound emotional and spiritual suffering. Women are nurturers by nature — and seeing other newborn children can remind them of their loss through abortion. It's incredibly painful to acknowledge that abortion is an experience involving death. Those who promote abortion "rights" have tried to convince our culture that unwanted pregnancies are not "human" and that what is aborted is "just tissue." They also mistakenly claim a wom- an's right to abortion is moral and justifiable. Good coun- seling can help break through this denial with compassion. These dear souls need to know that there is healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and hope. They need to know that God will — and does — forgive this sin, and that the Church offers healing ministries such as Project Rachel, which is offered through Catholic Charities' St. Raphael