This Looks Good

My sister-in-law, Caroline, is a nurse, and a good one at that. She has extraordinary diagnostic skills, as many experienced nurses do, and even though members of her family and friends have suggested she switch careers and become a doctor she has refused: she is called to be a nurse and that is what she is going to do. There is something unique in nursing, and she wants to live that for those under her care. In this she is like many dedicated nurses around the world. And even though nursing is now weighed down with tonnes of administration, women and men in the nursing profession prefer to be with the sick, offering that personal attention and service which is the hallmark of their vocation. 

One of the challenges many of these nurses face is the growing concern for the dignity of human life, be it due to an increasing commercialization of the medical sector, budgetary concerns, fear of litigation, a developing impersonal approach in order to appear professional or indeed the shadow of the culture of death in which compassion is redefined so as to sacrifice the promise "to do no harm". Today many wonderful nurses are now being implicated in the practice of euthanasia, and so instead of caring for human beings at their most vulnerable moments, they may well be killing them. The recent report on the situation in Belgium which I reflected on a few days ago is revealing in this regard.

Well I came across a recently made documentary which seems to be a wonderful exploration of the vocation to nursing, nursing in the cause of life. The American Nurse follows the lives, work and experiences of five nurses in five different areas of work; one of them is a nun, Sr Stephen who works in a nursing home. These five nurses appear to be extraordinary people. Some have chosen not to work in regular nursing, but decided to go out to those who have "fallen through the cracks" of human society in order to bring an attention and care which those people may not otherwise have. (See an article on the movie here)

You might just say a prayer today for all our nurses. They are in the front-line, and if the message of the sacredness of human life is to be heard again, their work has a vital part to play in proclaiming it. Here is the trailer for the documentary:

Taking Life

If you have been following the recent debate about certain Catholic media's call for an end to the death penalty, you'll know things are quite heated. 

I'll put my cards on the table: I do not support the death penalty. I do not see that there is now a need for it since modern incarceration is so good. In principle I have a difficulty in ceding authority to the State to take the lives of its citizens because it can be abused, and it has. That said, I accept the teaching that is in the Catechism (CCC 2267), that there may be cases where, in order to protect human lives, certain offenders may be put to death, although as I write that I am uneasy. I know, having studied psychology, and with an interest in forensic criminal psychology (it comes in handy for Confessions!), there are some individuals, usually serial killers, who pose a very serious risk and may (may) fall under the need for the death penalty.

Anyway, the point of this post is to bring Dr Ed Peter's view on this to your attention. He reflects on the Catechism and St John Paul's teaching in Evangelium Vitae. It is worth reading. Whatever you think about it, this issue will always be controversial and we'll be discussing it for decades if not centuries to come. But, as we discuss it, I pray that such discussions and debates will always be dictated by charity, and decisions regarding the death penalty will be taken with due regard to authentic justice and mercy.

King Philippe Approves Children's Euthanasia Bill

Sad news.  It seems King Philippe, King of the Belgians has signed the children's euthanasia bill into law. According to news reports the King signed the bill yesterday, on Sunday, the Lord's Day.  Those news outlets carrying the story in English are not the usual mainstream media: here are the reports: on RT, on The Voice of Russia, Islam.ru, The Bulletin. Here is the report in French in Le Soir. Vatican Radio also has a report in French. 

Many had hoped King Philippe, who was up to now a traditional, orthodox Catholic, would do as his uncle King Baudouin did when he refused to sign an abortion bill.  A petition signed by about 200,000 people had been sent to the Royal Palace pleading with him.  However, it seems those hopes were misplaced: another Christian leader has capitulated to the culture of death.  

I am personally disappointed with Philippe, up until now he had been an example for Catholic leaders, standing by the truth.  But then all men are weak, and as I write the words of the psalm come to mind: "Put not your trust in princes" (Ps 146:3).

We must pray for him, for Belgium and Europe.  

Gross Distortion

Well, the pro-abortion media were not long in replying to the Catholic Archbishops' response to the government’s plans to legislate for abortion.  In the Irish Independent today, a missile is thrown across the abyss to the Church and the one throwing the weapon is the Taoiseach himself who claims he was threatened over the Cloyne Report.  Is the story true?  To be honest I do not know, but given the Taoiseach’s propensity to skitter around the truth I am afraid I am not inclined to believe him.  I notice he will not give details of the threat – just as he would not give evidence for the accusations he made against the Vatican last year.  So perhaps that is an indication to the veracity of his claims.  Besides he now needs to attack and undermine the Church as she prepares to fight for the lives of the unborn, so that too may effect his credibility.

According to the Taoiseach the introduction of abortion into Ireland will not create a culture of death, but rather a culture of life.  I think Blessed John Paul II is probably spinning in his tomb.   Of course this is not the first time that the Taoiseach has misquoted or failed to understand Papal teaching.  In his attack on Pope Benedict last year he tried to be smart and quoted some of Benedict’s writing thinking it could be used against the Pontiff – he took the quote out of context and revealed his incompetence.  

And he's revealing his incompetence again on his understanding of the culture of life, and indeed in thinking that he is only legislating for limited abortion.  In every country where “limited abortion” was legalised, a more liberal abortion regime, even abortion on demand, resulted.  As Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro-Life Campaign said a few days ago: “Once it is conceded that some human lives may be directly targeted there is no going back. Inevitably over time the grounds for abortion would be widened.”  The Taoiseach does not seem to get this, or perhaps he does but just won’t admit it.

Reading this article I am inclined to think that perhaps “the red tail wagging the blue dog” may not be entirely true - unless he's skipping over Labour’s threats.   However it is obvious from what he says that Enda Kenny is pro-abortion, and it is also obvious that he intends to force his position on his party, particularly those members of Fine Gael who are pro-life.  He will enforce the party whip and says that the members of the party have a constitutional duty to support his position.  That is a most interesting comment: do the TDs we elect have a constitutional duty to support their leader and his views, or to represent the people of Ireland in parliament?  

It is also obvious that there is no room for conscientious objection; or at least if someone’s conscience disagrees with party policy they are not permitted to object.  This is not constitutional duty, it is tyranny, and Irish governments have shown that they are inclined to such tyranny when it suits them.  The recent imposition of the Civil Partnership Bill without a vote in parliament and its draconian punishments for registrars and wedding services providers who object on grounds of conscience is one such example: a Fianna Fail/Green Party government was responsible for that.   This is ironic given that our Constitution was written in an era of tyrants – when Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Stalin were enforcing their will on their political minions, and it was designed so as to prevent the rise of such a dictator in Ireland.  Somehow our politicians have managed to get around that.

To suggest that the introduction of abortion into Ireland promotes a culture of life is nonsense.  When we can say that a life is unworthy of life, regardless of the situations, then we have decided to use death as an instrument of social policy to further a particular agenda – that agenda is part of the culture of death.  A culture of life will respect the lives of both mother and child and will do everything in a crisis situation to preserve life – the lives of both mother and child.  A culture of life loves both mother and child and does not concede that the child has to be intentionally killed in order to save the mother.  A child may die in the attempt to save both lives, that is a tragic outcome, one which is being used cynically by the pro-abortion lobby to further its agenda.  The death of the child in those circumstances was not intentional, and that is difference. Enda Kenny in his legislation, and pro-abortion advocates, want to kill the child - it is their intention that the baby dies; not naturally, but by a direct act be it poisoning, dismemberment or other grotesque means.  There are many names for this, but in no way can this be considered part of a culture of life. 

In this struggle, we must all remember that abortion is not a Catholic issue: it is a human issue: it is a flesh and blood issue, literally.  It is not just Catholic babies who die - human beings from all races and countries die in abortion.   The media want to make this struggle one between the government and the Church: it is not - the Church should be just one organisation in that struggle.  Ultimately it is a struggle between the government and the citizens of this Republic.  I think the only way to resolve this issue to allow the citizens have their say, and it is the constitutional duty of the Taoiseach and his government to consult us by means of referendum - a clear and concise referendum. 

Bishop John Buckley of Cork and Ross has issued a response to the government's decision, reiterating Church teaching and respect for human life, as he taught clearly in his recent pastoral letter.

The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Michael Jackson, has also issued a statement regarding the government's decision: however he supports the decision to legislate for abortion, which is disappointing. 

Helping Women In Situations

One of the reasons the Catholic Church opposes the use of artificial contraception is that it offends against the dignity of women, ultimately reducing them, in the eyes of some men, to objects for pleasure: once the consequences of the sexual act are erased, then the risk is reduced and motivations may not be so pure. 

As Pope Paul VI understood, when he wrote Humanae Vitae, artificial contraception will lead to other evils, abortion among them.  Radical feminists reject the late Pope's teaching, saying that women are liberated by contraception and abortion.  Well, experience and reality have proved the Pope right, and here is one of the awful examples of how women suffer and their dignity is offended by such practices: sex selective abortion: gendercide.

It is well known that many baby girls are being aborted for no other reason than that they are female. The demographics of China, for example, show how true this is as the male population is far higher than the female: the one child policy makes couples abort their daughters so as to have a son to carry on the family name. 

We might say that here in the "enlightened west" we would never stoop so low - equality and respecting the dignity of women is a vital part of modern secular culture.  Well actually, no it's not.  There is evidence that reveals that baby girls in the west are being aborted to make way for a boy.  And the feminists are ignoring it, and as we can see from this video, those carrying out abortions are permitting and facilitating it:

I note that when asked if she will be allowed to have a sex selective abortion, the lady in the abortion clinic says they do not consider reasons - they are just helping women in situations.  I'm not sure the future women being aborted would agree with that.

They Follow The Lamb

Our feast today, I think, is one of the most poignant in the Church's calendar - the feast of the Holy Innocents.  The liturgy is very beautiful as it honours the little boys who knew nothing of the world, never mind the Lord who created them.  And yet, in this innocence, before some of them could speak, they are murdered - put to death in the place of Christ. 

In his reflection for the feast, St Quodvultdeus says that they were taken to be Jesus Christ, and what a grace: there is the programme for our lives: to seek to resemble Jesus Christ, to be taken for him, mistaken for him.  That is why we are called Christians - so we might be Christ.  As St Paul puts it: "I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me".   One of the wonderful images the liturgy offers us today sums it all up beautifully: they follow the lamb.  As little children, they skip along behind him.  I pray we might all be able to do the same.

Today is, of course, a day to remember all the Innocents who have be slaughtered.  Those who have been abused.  But also those who have perished in the culture of death: the aborted, those killed in the procedures like IVF and embryonic stem cell research, those who die unknown thanks to the Morning After Pill. Lives deemed worthless and so discarded.  It is also a day to remember the millions of children who lie frozen in fertility clinics all over the world - suspended, neither allowed to live or die.  What horrors the people of this time have visited upon our children.  Today's Herods wear white coats, speak with gentle voices in counselling rooms, wield pipettes instead of swords, dispense tablets. 

There are many parallels between the slaughter of the Innocents and the culture of death in our day, but there is one I find most intriguing.  Some scholars dispute the event - they say that there is not one shred of evidence outside St Matthew's Gospel that these little boys of Bethlehem were killed, so they deny it happened - it was made up, a mere literary device to get the Infant Jesus to Egypt.  Well, St Matthew saw fit to record it and to attribute a prophecy to foretell it: it must have happened.  Given that Matthew was writing for Jewish audience, the massacre must have had some significance. 

However, this scholarly attitude parallels that of many today who defend abortion, contraception, IVF etc - they deny that they are wrong, they deny the facts, they will not allow them be known: they even deny the humanity of those who are murdered.    They are living in denial, they are easily offended when the facts are made known and they fight back, their most potent weapon being "feeling hurt".

May our dear little Saints, the Holy Innocents, martyrs for Christ, intercede for us, for the pro-life cause, and for an end to the culture of death.  May they watch over us and guide us in our lives so like them, we too may be taken for Christ, and yes, even have the joy of suffering for him.