Our initial action plan following the election…
… as shared with our pastor.
November 6, 2008
Dear Father Schillinger:
It is with sadness but resolve that we write this letter to inform you that we are modifying our 2009 offertory pledge. We turned in our completed pledge form as Mass last weekend indicating an annual pledge of $____, but in light of the recent election we will be reducing our 2009 offertory contribution from $___ per month to $___ per month. [We halved our pledge.]
With a radical pro-abortion, even pro-infanticide (he voted 3 times to deny any care to infants in Illinois born alive after abortion) president and pro-abortion liberals in control of Congress, we know that what rather meager resources we have must be directed to pro-life causes. As pro-abortion forces now in control work to expand the “right” to abortion and force taxpayers to fund abortion, organizations who speak clearly and forcefully for the unborn must be strengthened. Their work - Birthright, PATH, Priests for Life, and similar organizations - must be supported as much as possible.
Unfortunately, as a parish, IHM does not make the list of organizations that speak clearly and forcefully for the unborn. With [Mrs. Tldz] heading up the pro-life committee for several years, we wish that were not so; but that involvement has proven to us that it is. Our committee received criticism for our prayer vigil sign which said “say NO to abortion mill on Cliff Valley Way,” being told that the term “abortion mill” lacked “Christian charity.” But what about the Christian charity lacking in intentionally and brutally ending the life of a completely defenseless unborn baby? In your years as IHM’s pastor, we have heard you publicly mention the word “abortion” perhaps three or four times - a paltry number considering that abortions are routinely being performed within walking distance of the parish. When we made a submission for the prayers of the faithful around the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we were questioned by a member of the parish staff about the use of the word “abortion” several times in the prayer. We had to explain that given the presence of a facility performing abortions so close to our parish, and the fact that Our Lady of Guadalupe is patroness of the unborn, it was an appropriate prayer. It seems that at IHM, those of us who defend the right to life of the unborn are called upon to explain ourselves more than those who remain silent, or even support, this slaughter. We are often told that abortion is not the only life issue, which is true; but those who say we should address other life issues really seem to believe that we should talk about other issues and NOT talk about abortion. This is not what we know our Church to teach.
Archbishop Gregory, in his pre-election column, wrote:
“According to the principles of Faithful Citizenship, Catholics must support the just care of the poor, the rights of workers, the dignity of people who immigrate to a new nation, the conservation of the environment; we must assess the very complex economic issues, seek to provide affordable health care for people who do not enjoy that security, and foster the more humane treatment of those who are imprisoned, to list only some of the issues that we now face. However, before and prior to all of those vitally important concerns, Faithful Citizenship places the issue of Life itself. All of those other matters are of immense and lasting significance, yet they remain of no consequence for those who are not granted the first right—the right to be born. For this reason, I want to remind all of you, my brothers and sisters, to remember those famous Jeffersonian words borrowed from Locke—and especially remember the order that he gave them.”
So we were taken aback to hear you say on the Sunday before election day that a Catholic could “in good conscience” vote for Barack Obama - one of the most pro-abortion politicians ever elected. If all those other “vitally important concerns” are of “no consequence” to those not allowed to be born, how can we “in good conscience” vote for someone who would deny the right to be born to so many because we may like his stance on other issues?
While we would have been disappointed by your words no matter the outcome of the election, if pro-abortion forces had not won, we would have maintained our pledged support of IHM. Now, however, the need for pro-life work and post-abortion work will sadly be so great that we must redirect some of our limited resources to it. Note, though, that we are not eliminating our support of the parish. It is where we worship and we know we have an obligation to support its operation; and we happily fulfill that obligation.
Please know that IHM, you, your brother, and your family remain in our prayers.
Sincerely,
Mr. and Mrs. Tldz
Now I just hope the action plan we parish pro-life leaders are awaiting to formally address President-elect Obama’s stated intention to promote abortion among his earliest actions will be coming quickly - and will be a strong one. I fear, though, that our bishops often fail to recognize the necessary time frames/time constraints to address legislation, etc. effectively. Lord, give them courage.