Thanks to Letters From a Young Catholic for this heads up.
Priests for Life (PFL) has set up a politically active "training center" in Amarillo, TX, right in the back yard of Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle (PPATP). Father Frank Pavone, director of PFL, has named this new organization, "Missionaries of the Gospel of Life."
He aims to train priests and seminarians to fight euthanasia and abortion exclusively. "The order will have a decidedly political bent, and will be active rather than contemplative," Pavone told the Los Angeles Times in March. In June, the all-male order started its first "discernment retreat" for 35 men looking to devote their lives to eliminating access to abortion. PFL has also launched a $12 million national media campaign aimed at restricting the right to abortion.
All-male order how sinister. What a shock that s Society of Apostolic Life which includes priests and deacons would actually be all male. Though I doubt if they ever called the Sisters of Life all-female.
PPATP, which operates three clinics in the area, was forced to quickly upgrade its security. "Since January, the number of protestors has significantly increased and the nature of the protests has intensified," said Claudia Stravato, CEO of PPATP. PPATP worked with PPFA and security vendors to assess its security needs, install security hardware, and develop and train staff in security procedures.
Yes peaceful protestors from Priests for Life are just so dangerous – dangerous to their financial bottom line. Just too bad children in the womb can’t upgrade their security and hire staff to protect them. I mean if I was an infant again in the womb the first thing I would install would be a one way door so that I could get out and nobody else could get in. A metal detector to warn me of scalpels coming in to my domain and a biological hazard detection system to warn me of saline or other toxic biological warfare. I would get a phone to dial 911 if it would do any good.
Child in the womb: Help me there is an intruder on my premises trying to kill me
911 Operator: Can you describe you assailant?
Child in the womb: Not really, I can only see is this big tube coming at me making a sucking sound.
911 Operator: Where are you currently located.
Child in the womb: In my mother’s womb and she is located at 212 Elm St.
911 Operator: Sorry I can’t help you. You are not a victim and this is not a crime. That is not an assailant but a doctor sworn to protect human life.
Child in the womb: But I am human life.
911 Operator: Sorry again but the Supreme Court decided you weren’t.
Child in the womb: What that makes no sense. I mean I can think and breathe and have a beating heart and can feel pain. I know something bad is happening to me.
911 Operator: Well I don’t really understand myself, but it has something to do with penumbras or something.
Child in the womb: Help me it is starting to hurt.
911 Operator: I would tell you to suck it up, but that is being done for you. Have a nice day.
10 comments
It is incredible, that PP can’t even take any protesting. In the town I’ve moved into We have a Planned Parenthood location right out in the open next to the Post Office. In fact it’s named for Katherine Heburn. How quaint. I never see any demonstrators there…does anyone out there know if there is there are any “special” laws in New York that keeps these places with out protestors.
CJ, you’re a master at expressing tragedy through humour.
The abortion industry’s very existence hinges on one thing: ignorance of the public. The ignorance of the public is largely the fault of the Church for not proclaiming the Gospel of Life in its integrity, as the “faithful” as just as ignorant as “the world” is. “If salt loses its saltiness…” and all that. Kudos to these Missionaries for identifying this need!
Everyone who is able should be out there protesting, praying, and providing witness to the world! It’s not a special calling to save souls and lives by going out to the killing centers, it’s the duty of every baptized person who is able! We’re called to be salt and light; everytime we go to the site of the killing, it’s like bringing a match into pitch black darkness. The abortion mill is calvary where children made in Christ’s image are daily crucified; ought we not imitate St. John, our Lady, and the others who stood in solidarity with Christ as He hung on the cross?
God may very well ask us at our judgment,
“What did you do to fight abortion?”
“Rescue those being dragged to death.” (Proverbs 24:11)
“Whatever you do/don’t do for the least of my brethren, you do/don’t do for me.” (Mt. 25)
Well I can predict what a pro choicers response would be: “Fetus’ can’t think. They aren’t aware of their own existance.”
Granted, that is true at the earliest stage of pregnancy when the neural tube is just developing, but that still doesn’t justify killing them.
Capacity to reason does not define personhood.
Next month, we will be reminded of the protests at lunch counters, boycotts and the Selma march to recognize the historical abomination of racial segregation. Protesting is rightfully embraced as a freedom. In this circumstance, it is celebrated and honored by almost everyone who is sane.
Protesting abortion and euthanasia is not.
This nation, in fact, is OBLIGATED to secure our freedom to protest and march. It is we who protest that are constitutionally required to be given security and free access to protest, boycott and march.
For fighting the ignorance of the public, I recommend organizing a Genocide Awareness Project display (especially on college campuses). It consists of signs that juxtapose graphic abortion images with images of historic genocides (Holocaust, Cambodian genocide, etc.), and there’s a pamphlet that explains the “abortion is genocide” concept very convincingly. Just go to the website for the Center for Bioethical reform http://www.cbrinfo.org where you can order signs and get other information. You can either have the full-size display or a mini version, and there’s also the option of secular/religious versions.
The Cornell Coalition for Life has done a mini-GAP on campus for several years now (you can see pictures of this past October’s GAP at http://www.cornell4life.org/blog — just scroll down a little, and an article about GAP from the Cornell Review http://www.cornellreview.org/viewart.cgi?num=540). It’s very effective–the pro-choice crowd gets so angry every year it’s almost comical, but this year they sounded so defeated and dispirited during the counterprotest. I recommend doing GAP often, although it might be tough to get a permit to do it in front of Planned Parenthood.
CPT Tom, I live in New York state and say the rosary in front of the local PP every 1st Friday. I don’t block the sidewalk or driveway. I’m just a visual presence. Believe me, I’m non-threatening, at least in the physical sense. I think every Catholic out there should attempt to do the same.
Shifting gears for a moment if I may, dispite his heroic work for the Gospel of Life, I take exception to Fr. Pavonne’s politicizing the pro-life movement in favor of the Republican Party. Republicans use abortion strictly as a tool to win elections and at least one Republican congressman has admitted it. Pavonne ignores the likes of Justice Anthony Kennedy, allegedly a Catholic, and appointed by a Repulican, who is a firm supporter of abortion in the place where the laws are made. Pavonne goes after Democratic politicians exclusively and that is, in my opinion, borderline fraud. If he’s going to be a hack shill for Republicans, let him register as a lobbiest.
Nan, sounds like a plan…it is amazing how stressed out those folks get over simple Catholic religous expression like the rosary or icons. Someone on another thread I think mentioned “demonic” Ior just good ole guilt.