A Sad Day for Catholics in Canada

by Chris McCartney

It has become increasingly difficult to pick up a newspaper these days and not be fearful about the unparalleled crisis and devastation that plague many areas of the world. The war in Iraq rages on and the ever present threat of terrorism is never far from our minds.

However, perhaps the most destructive and devastating war continues to rage on unabated, that is the war against the unborn.

January 22nd marked the 33rd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade U.S. Supreme Court ruling which rejected God and His laws in favor of Satan, by sanctioning the slaughter of innocents in the womb.

It can only be described as a demonic decision. It is a direct effect of the diabolical disorientation which Sister Lucy spoke of with regard to Holy Mother Church not heeding the requests of Our Lady of Fatima.

Now, the divisive debate about abortion rights in Canada is poised to erupt once again as Henry Morgentaler, the country's most infamous abortion crusader, is expected to be named to the Order of Canada.

This decision to give Morgentaler the highest honor bestowed by Canada has ignited a maelstrom of controversy, as news of this was first announced on the 141st birthday of Canada on July 1st.

Catholic rights groups are unanimous in denouncing this travesty in conferring this acknowledgement to Morgentaler. Joanne McGarry, executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League, said the abortion advocate is an unfortunate choice to the Order.

“As Canadians we would like to see the Order of Canada given to people whose contributions to such initiatives as charity, education, culture, the environment, things of that kind that are uniformly viewed as positive and tend to unite people,” said McGarry in the Globe and Mail. “With this choice, the one thing that everybody really agrees on about Morgentaler is that he is a very divisive figure.”

The Campaign Life Coalition said it is dreadful that a man who spent his life performing abortions should be honored. The coalition is urging other Order of Canada recipients to return their medals in protest.

“If Morgentaler had any integrity, he would refuse the medal,” Mary Ellen Douglas of the coalition said in a news release. “This presentation should be given to people who have made Canada a better place to live and the elimination of thousands of human beings who would have contributed to the future of Canada is a disgrace, not an honor.”

In its Themes of Catholic Social Teaching, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops had this to say about abortion,

“In a world warped by materialism and declining respect for human life, the Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.”