It’s happened again: a professor at UCLA, father of two small children, killed in his classroom. It makes me want to scream: where is the Catholic-Christian pro-life voice when we need it most? Why do we allow our highest values to be smothered by the wealthy, powerful, iron-fisted NRA?
Naming all the children who died at Newtown, CT President Obama said, “They had their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, wedding, kids of their own:
Charlotte, Daniel, Olivia, Josephine, Ana, Dillon, Madeleine, Catherine, Chase, Jesse, James, Grace, Emilie, Jack, Noah, Caroline, Jessica, Benjamin, Avielle, Allison.”
Those fragile lives, ended in seconds deserve protection as much as the unborn. The Catholic pro-life stance which has always been staunch must extend to safeguarding from deadly weapons the sanctity of every human life. Moral theology has taught that the most basic evil is the taking of innocent life. In each beats the divine spark.
How can Christians be hesitant and fearful when the first and second commandments are laws of love engraved on our deepest nature? Many people live now with an ill-defined anxiety: is it safe to pursue their usual routines? Can they and their children go to school? to the mall? to a movie? Fear taints the awesome freedom to which God’s children are called. Jesus repeatedly said, “do not be afraid.” Christ’s death overcame the world; his resurrection is the ultimate answer to fear. To avoid this issue or stall any longer repudiates his call to the fullness of life.
To be continued…
Kathy Coffey 