A reader sent me a column written by Bishop Allen H. Vigneron of the diocese of Oakland. The column is really good and is called Remembering Roe v. Wade – a call for prayer and penance. Please read the whole thing because it is too good to snip.
One of the interesting parts of his column was his mention of paragraph 373 from the American adaptation of the GIRM under Chapter VIII Masses and Prayers for Various Circumstances and Masses for the Dead. The following is the full paragraph from the USCCB site.
373. Masses for Various Needs or Masses for Various Circumstances are used in certain situations either as matters arise or at fixed times.
Days or periods of prayer for the fruits of the earth, prayer for human rights and equality, prayer for world justice and peace, and penitential observances outside Lent are to be observed in the dioceses of the United States of America at times to be designated by the Diocesan Bishop.
In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass "For Peace and Justice" (no. 21 of the "Masses for Various Needs") should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day.
I wonder how many people are aware of this? The bishop gives plenty of ideas for what to do in response to this infamous day.
Update: The excellent excellency Bishop Robert Vasa also writes a column on this sad date
Ultimately a life is a life, no matter expedient definitions.
7 comments
For a while now I have thought it would be appropriate to declare the anniversary a special feast day in the United States, though I am not sure if our bishops have the authority to make such a declaration.
Is abortion wrong? Sure it is. The 1973 decision was not an “abortion was right o wrong” decision. It was handed down on a constitutional rights issue. Will it be overturned? Doubtful. Will overturning it eliminate Abortion in this country? NO
It would seem many on the so called “religious right” insist on turning the tradgedy of abortion into a politically driven culture war, while ignoring so many other life issues. While doing so efforts to combat abortion that actually work are being overlooked. House bills recently introduced by Rep. Ryan of Ohio and Rep. Davies address the root causes of abortion.
Real pro life Catholics should refuse to stand by and watch the unborn die while we wait for unlikely event that Roe V Wade will be overturned. Chief Justice Roberts has said that Roe V Wade is settled law.
There are things we can do to help the unborn right now – like expand health care coverage, education, adoption programs, ease the economic burdens on working families, and address endemic problems of greed, violence, sex, corruption, and materialism in our society. Thankfully, the new Congress is taking up many of these measures.
This is real Catholic Pro Life agenda. Get in line.
Eamon, you are clueless. Most abortions in the United States are sought for reasons of convenience, their root cause being selfishness and narcissism rather than economic. To think, as you do, that the Democratic Party (the party of unrestricted, federally funded abortion-on-demand, the party of same sex marriage, the party of federally funded embrionic stem cell research, the party of socialized medicine that would ensure everyone has equal access to inferior health care) supports the “real Catholic pro-life agenda” is to think that liberalism derives directly from the Gospels. It does not. You’re in the wrong line; but it’s a long line, having so many other like-minded Catholics in it, so I understand how you could be confused about where it actually goes.
Awesome post! I really like Vigneron–a Scripture scholar, actually, by training. Last year in Steubenville he gave one of the greatest sermons on the Trinity I have ever heard.
Totally off topic: every time I see that Spine Crozier I think of Predator and Predator 2…
Fr. Philip
Our Bishop (Thomas Doran, Rockford IL) has declared this day of prayer, and my parish will be having a morning mass, adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament all day, and an evening Mass as well. All homilies this weekend brought out how the readings apply to the need to fight for the right to life of all, the unborn, the disabled, the elderly, and the just plain inconvenient.
I am so glad to be living in this diocese now!
FYI, Eamon wrote the same exact comment on Rich Leonardi’s blog. It’s good to see ignorance spread around the blogosphere.