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Cardinal Calls for “Sober Rejoicing” at Increasing Support for Life: March for Life Homily

Says growing numbers of teenagers are rejecting sexual promiscuity and abortion

By Gudrun Schultz

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States, January 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - There is great cause for hope in the ongoing battle for respect for life in America, said U.S. Cardinal Justin Rigali, in his homily at the Vigil For Life mass in Washington, D.C. on the eve of the National March For Life Jan.22.

“Our attitude in the wake of the immense national tragedy of abortion is our sober rejoicing in hope…In the conflict that exists between life and death, between the culture of life and the culture of death we see that something very encouraging is also taking place in our society,” said Cardinal Rigali, who is chair of the U.S. bishops‘ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

The Vigil Mass for Life is the largest annual Catholic Mass in the U.S., with approximately 10,000 participants attending. Catholics from across the country come to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to celebrate mass at the beginning of the National Prayer Vigil for Life on the evening of the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion in Roe vs. Wade.

The growing number of teenagers who are rejecting sexual promiscuity and abortion are forefront in the changes indicating hope for our culture, the cardinal said, along with the increase in opposition to abortion on demand among the general population.

“More and more citizens are coming to question abortion and to recognize--as a starting point for deeper conversion--that there is something radically wrong with abortion and the support given it by our laws. There is a growing realization that human life and human dignity cannot be suppressed without immense damage to the entire fabric of our nation and numerous consequences.”

Cardinal Rigali encouraged those in the pro-life movement to continue speaking out on the truth about abortion, out of “profound concern” for the unborn and with “deep compassion” for all those affected by abortion. 

“With utmost respect we express in the public debate our strong conviction that something terribly wrong has weakened our nation—something that flagrantly violates human rights and human dignity, in addition to the law of God.  It is necessary for all of us to speak with lucidity in bearing witness to the truth that has such vast consequences.”

Cardinal Rigali spoke at length on the international impact of America’s policies on life issues, quoting the words of Pope John Paul II in his address to the city of St. Louis eight years earlier. “’Today, the conflict is between a culture that affirms, cherishes, and celebrates the gift of life, and a culture that seeks to declare entire groups of human beings—the unborn, the terminally ill, the handicapped, and others considered ‘unuseful’—to be outside the boundaries of legal protection. 

“‘Because of the seriousness of the issues involved, and because of America’s great impact on the world as a whole, the resolution of this new time of testing will have profound consequences....My fervent prayer is that through the grace of God at work in the lives of Americans of every race, ethnic group, economic condition and creed, America will resist the culture of death and choose to stand steadfastly on the side of life.’”

The push for embryonic research presents another “immense challenge” in the ongoing battle over respect for human life, Cardinal Rigali said, pointing to advances in research using adult stem cells and, most recently, in the discovery of stem cells present in amniotic fluid that have many of the capabilities of embryonic cells, offering a moral alternative to the destruction of embryos for research purposes.

 “Dear Friends, like the faithful Israelites of old, we too have been able to  listen to God’s law.  It is so clearly articulated on Mount Sinai and in our hearts: “Thou shalt not kill.” 

In his closing remarks, Cardinal Rigali encouraged young people to take on the task of defending life, saying, “In all of this, dear young people, you are called to fulfill a special role: to bring all your energy to promote the cause of life.  The Lord is calling you and confirming you in strength.  The Church and the nation are asking you to rise up to this challenge.”

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