We have
perhaps never seen such a concerted, sustained campaign against the
"culture of death" in any nation, on the part of Catholic clergy
Commentary
by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
BRAZIL, March 20, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - During the past month, the nation
of Brazil has experienced a seemingly miraculous transformation.
The Catholic hierarchy in Brazil has long been famous for its laxity regarding
human life issues, and its disproportionate emphasis on economic issues that
seems to equate Catholicism with socialist politics.
The bishops have even maintained a loose but very real relationship with
"Catholics for the Right to Decide", which is the South American
version of "Catholics for a Free Choice", a phony
"Catholic" pro-abortion group designed to confuse the faithful about
the Church's teachings on the sanctity of human life.
Until recently, the Catholic leadership seemed to be "hiding in the upper
room" with regard to abortion and other human life issues, shamefully
avoiding the topic and even colluding with the "culture of death".
However, in the last month they have suddenly appeared to the masses, boldly
proclaiming the Church's Gospel of Life. Their former timidity has been
replaced by an aggressive, almost provocative stance towards the ideologies
that underlie the death cult of abortion. Although it may be too early to tell,
it appears that a "pro-life Pentecost" is occurring among the bishops
of Brazil, and the strategies they are employing are a lesson to the whole
Catholic world.
The bishops' conversion seems to have begun after the inauspicious start of
this year's "Fraternity Campaign", a project undertaken by the
Catholic Church in Brazil each year to promote a different teaching or theme.
Although this year's theme is "Fraternity and the Defense of Life",
the campaign ran into trouble when a group of priests issued a documentary
associated with it that gave sympathetic coverage to "Catholics for the
Right to Decide."
Catholics protested, and the eminent philosophy professor Olavo de Carvalho
wrote an opinion article for Brazilian newspapers pointing out the Catholic
hierarchy's long association with pro-abortion causes. The CD of the
documentary was removed from circulation and the offending video clip was
removed from the reissued version, but no explanation or apology was
given. It seemed that nothing had really changed.
But with the official launch of the Campaign in early February, it was obvious
that something had happened to the bishops in the interim. They did not,
as might be expected, give a feeble announcement of the Campaign's theme.
Rather, they held a national press conference that clearly denounced abortion,
euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research, in what only can be called
"fighting language."
The General Secretary of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops, Dimas
Lara Barbosa, led the opening ceremonies, and proceeded to state that the
purpose was not merely to stop new anti-life legislation, but to eliminate all
exceptions in Brazil's penal code regarding abortion.
He said the bishops in the following months would "confront"
politicians and pro-abortion organizations for "manipulating
information" to promote their cause, and would work to educate the public
about the dangers of legislation to legalize abortion, euthanasia, and
embryonic stem cell research.
Following the announcement, the bishops held a pro-life conference in
Aparecida, home of Brazil's most important shrine, and issued a thundering
declaration in defense of human life, denouncing pro-abortion groups as tools
of a new kind of imperialism that seeks to impose a racist population-control
agenda on the "third world".
"We denounce the implantation of a culture of death that destroys the
sense of life, of ethical values, and natural rights from which all human laws
are derived," the conference declared.
"We denounce the attempt to decriminalize and legalize abortion in Latin
America. We denounce the fraud in the scientific field, the manipulation
of language and the government authorizations that permit the production and
distribution in our countries of pharmaceuticals, poisons to kill human beings,
from the first hours of life, as occurs with the morning after pill and the
inter-uterine device, IUD."
"We denounce the government programs to liberalize abortion in an indirect
way, such as the technical standards of the Ministry of Health that authorize
abortion based on the mere declaration of the interested party."
In addition to speaking clearly and boldly about the horror of abortion and
other offenses against human life, the bishops are doing what pro-lifers have
long hoped that bishops will someday do worldwide: they are using their
authority to issue informational materials on abortion to every parish in the
country for distribution to the laity.
The Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro has gone further. He has ordered more
than enough fetal models for every parish, and priests are displaying them in
the centers of their churches, explaining to the faithful that human life
begins at fertilization, and that abortion terminates that life.
At least one parish in the city is actually showing videos of abortions in
closed door meetings, with chilling commentary about the details of the
procedure. Brazilian lay Catholics, many of whom have little acquaintance
with abortion, are horrified by what they see, and are inspired to act against
abortion. There is little doubt that the pro-abortion politicians in
Brazil's executive, legislative, and judicial branches are also horrified, for
very different reasons.
What effect would such an approach have if all of the Catholic bishops of the
world were to imitate the Brazilian bishops, and declare war on abortion,
euthanasia, and other offenses against human life? Sadly, the answer must
remain a speculative one, because we have perhaps never seen such a concerted,
sustained campaign against the "culture of death" in any nation, on
the part of Catholic clergy.
However, there can be little doubt that even in a country like the United
States, whose population is only 25% Catholic, such a campaign would have a
large impact. If this "sleeping giant" were to awaken,
galvanized by clear preaching and educational campaigns that clearly reveal the
crime of abortion, how could any political party stand against it?
It is clear to this author that before such a transformation can occur, it must
first occur in the hearts and minds of the clergy. They must first
experience their own Pro-Life Pentecost. And for that, we must continue
to pray.