EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE - URGENT —EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED SUICIDE IS AT OUR DOORSTEP

 URGENT —- EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED

SUICIDE 

IS AT OUR DOORSTEP

 

.....And Priests for Life is doing something about it!

by Fr Jim Whalen

1997, Issue 1

“EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE...”

“EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE...”

     This is one way we can stop the attitude of killing off those labeled as ‘unwanted’, ‘undesirable’,  ‘costly’ and those who ‘just don’t fit in’!

    First, the lives of the unborn were sacrificed, and now others are being considered.... ‘and all in the name of false compassion’ and the mistaken idea that we are unable to relieve the suffering of others. But the general public doesn’t see it that way. They just don’t know that there is rarely a need for anyone to suffer in this day of technological medicine.

    If someone is planning to end their life, it is because we have failed as a society to provide the care and understanding that an individual is reaching for. With modern medicine and palliative care available today, there is virtually no need for anyone to suffer unbearable pain.

    And Yes, ‘we are our brother’s keeper’! Not only must we defend our own lives but it is our duty to defend the lives of others.  We must stop the false myth that pain cannot be controlled, that some lives are more valuable than others, and that we have been given the power to decide when life begins, when it should end and who should live and who should die.

    One way we can do this is by educating the public. This includes all Catholics. We cannot assume that even our church-going Catholics will not fall prey to the false sense of compassion that is quickly spreading throughout our Canadian society.

    Over the past few months, we have been busy,  in cooperation with a number of other groups, preparing a special publication on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide specifically for Catholics. The cost of this 12 page newspaper style publication (at only 12 cents each) has been kept low so that it can be made readily available to our Catholic population. Please assist Priests for Life in our attempt to educate our fellow Catholics with the truth about euthanasia and assisted suicide. Turn this page to find out how you can obtain this publication for all parishioners in your parish. ¤

AWAKE AND BE VIGILANT IN MY DEFENSE (Psalm 35:23) Fr. Jim Whalen 1997, Issue 1

 

AWAKE AND BE VIGILANT

IN MY DEFENSE (Psalm 35:23)

Fr. Jim Whalen

1997, Issue 1

     A dissident group calling itself "Catholics of Vision, Canada", opposes certain key Catholic disciplines and teachings. This amalgamation of Catholic Network for Women's Equality; Concerned Catholics of Ottawa; Ottawa Corpus (assn. of married priests); and  Dignity (gays and lesbians), follows the lead of similar Australian, German, British, Latin American and American protestors.2

   Of particular concern to pro-life advocates are their proposals regarding a false freedom of conscience that does not recognize Divine Law or objective truth, (Relativism ); and a false freedom from Church censure, (Rebellion); allowing erroneous anti-life opinions to be taught in Catholic institutions in place of Church doctrine: i.e. “Contraceptives are evil” (Humanae Vitae)1 They choose the slippery slope, rejecting Natural Family Planning (W.O.M.B.)1; opting for I.P.P.F. (International Planned Parenthood Federation), (James Sedlak, Deadly Deception )2 choosing recreational sex, the birth control route; the pill; RU 486, IUD, condoms, abortifacients, abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide.1

    The truth is found in Pope John Paul II's pro-life  teachings.(Veritatis Splendour, Evangelium Vitae) .1 Bishops are not fooled by verbal engineering. They unmask the hidden agenda: trying to "gut" the Church. (Bishop E. Troy, New Brunswick); and trying to direct the Church into "liberalization and democratization." (Archbishop A. Exner, Vancouver) (Pro-life Canada e-news)

    Observe and read Archbishop T. Bertone's ‘Magisterial Documents and Public Dissent’: "Theology can never be reduced to the private reflection of a theologian or group of theologians... Bishops are obliged to enforce the Church's normative discipline especially when it is a question of defending the integrity of the teaching of Divine Truth." (L'Osservatore Romano, Jan 29,1997) Study the anti-Christian and anti-life positions now evident in UNICEF and also in OECTA (Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association). (Catholic Insight, Jan-Feb,1997)

    The Church is pro-life, "a sign of contradiction." (Lk 2:34) Pray for life and truth, a change of heart and mind. ¤

TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS by Fr Jim Whalen 1997, Issue 1- Priests for Life Newsletter

 TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

by Fr Jim Whalen

1997, Issue 1

“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

that whoever believes in Him may have Eternal Life.” (JN, 14-15)

The ‘Bronze Serpent’ is used today as a symbol by the healing profession to denote their purpose...to protect and save life, to be at the service of life. This is expressed in the Hippocratic Oath (400 BC). ‘I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner, I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion; with purity and with holiness, I will pass my life and practice my art.'

In this season, we celebrate the Triumph of the Cross, when Jesus drove away darkness and brought in the light, with the gift, the ransom of His life for our life. He who wins the cross possesses a treasure, for we are lifted up with the crucified Christ. In it, through it, our salvation, what we have lost, is restored to us.

We are challenged to be disciples of life, to join Jesus in his greatest triumph, to follow Him to the pulpit of the cross. Life was sentenced to death on the cross of Calvary by man. Death was put to death on the cross of Calvary by Christ.

Jesus was the only one who came to this world to die for us. Everyone else came to live. Why is it so many today deny this fact? Why is it so many today deny life to the innocent and weak? "Before man are life and death. Which-ever he chooses shall be given him." (SIR 15, 17). The Triumphant Cross questions mankind today about our choosing.

How far can power go in the world? Power ends in it’s own destruction, for those who slew the foe, lost the day. Evil may have it’s hour but God will have His day. He is a God of Mercy and Justice. The darkness in the world today gives primacy to will over reason. It teaches first the action, then the rationalization of the action. Do what you please then try to find justification. Use power to attain your goal then find or make laws to support your position.

Modern philosophy and modern laws make the will primary and have reason as it’s servant. This is an eclipse of reason and will. This ‘will without reason’, is will to power. Reason has no function that would determine the targets or goals of life or the will that shoots the arrows.

Why does God permit Satan, evil and sin, to nail innocent life, justice to a tree. The risen Christ answers that sin having done its worst might exhaust itself and be overcome by love that is stronger than either sin or death. The basis of our hope is not in any construct of human power but in the power of the Triumphant Cross, where Christ gave to evil it’s own mortal wound.

We have great hope in Christ’s Triumphant Cross for darkness is not final except to those who are without God. The heart has a need of emptying and need of being filled. "God emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave." (PHIL 2:7). The power of emptying is human, seen in the love of others. The power of filling belongs to God. This calls us to exclaim: "Not my will but yours be done Lord; what you will, when you will. Let it be soon. We choose life from the moment of conception until natural death." Let us lift high the cross, the means to protect and save human life so that we may multiply, magnify and glorify the Lord. ¤

THE CHALLENGE IS REAL by Fr Jim Whalen 1997, Issue 1 - Priest's for Life Newsletter

Father Whalen is a pro-life hero. I wish we had more priests like Father Jim who always proclaimed the Truth of the Gospel. When he was the Spiritual Director of the Legion of Mary, in his allocutios, in his spiritual direction whenever I spoke with him: always, he never wavered. Thank you Father Jim!

I have been thinking of Fr. Jim a lot lately he was such an inspiration to me. Before he died I scanned many of his writings which appeared in the early issues of the Priests for Life publications.

I will be posting many of them on this blog beginning with

THE CHALLENGE IS REAL

by Fr Jim Whalen

1997, Issue 1

“The dragon was angry against the woman and went off to make war

on the rest of her offspring...” (Rev. 12:17).

It is clear, priests “Choose Life.” (Deut. 30:15-20). We choose to follow Mary and help defend and rescue her offspring; “Rescue the Weak”, (Ps 82); to respect human life at all stages; to protect the interests of the unborn child, the infant, the infirm, the handicapped and the elderly, from conception to natural death.

There is no other option. We are “Priests for Life” or we are not priests of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

We realize there is a further need for more intense effort, shared information, whole - hearted involvement, unified strategy and natural prayer support. A pro-life commitment is essential to all priests. We can make a difference, if we follow Mary to Jesus to the cross... “Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array.” (Cant 6:9). She knows the Way of the Cross and has the power to lead us to victory as Our Lady of Guadalupe. “In me is all grace.” (Eccles. 24-25).

“Priests for Life, Canada” invites all bishops, priests and deacons to become part of this much-needed association. We need to pray, work, plan and lead our people together. We need to inform, teach, motivate and mobilize the faithful in the pro-life movement. We need each other. We need you. “Be strong in this battle.” (Eph 6:10-20).

Through abortion people are sinning against the Holy Spirit, because life comes through the Holy Spirit. We must use all the gifts of Holy Orders we receive from the Holy Spirit to protect the sanctity of human life, or many more will be victimized and killed, by omission as well as by commission, we are called to lead in “The Church Militant”.

Spiritual warfare is real. Satan knows he can’t win, but he has not surrendered. He is seeking souls by promoting a culture of death. No soul is off limits. His main strategy is fear and deceit. Our strategy is to use the weapons given to us by Jesus: the Mass; the Word; His Sacramental Graces; the Rosary; the Angels, the Truth; Marching in Faith and Courage to build “A Culture of Life”, “A Civilization of Love.” (Pope John Paul II). ¤