Cardinal Dolan who is the chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities has called on everyone perturbed about “the tragedy of abortion” to make a firm resolution to devote themselves to a “vision of life and love, a vision that excludes no one.”
He urged the faithful to take part in the ‘9 days for life campaign’ launched by by the US bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.
According to the website 9daysforlife.com, the Novena whose main objective is to put an end to abortion is the high point of the campaign. The Novena starts January 16 and ends on the 24th.
Decades ago the founders of the Pro-life movement would have never believed that the social media would ever be medium for their campaigns. The 9 days novena to be shared with online communities through social media platforms are to be tagged #9DaysforLife.
Prayers for each day’s prayer guide either in English or Spanish can be accessed through an app, email or text message and people can follow the novena campaign on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Those who will partake in the pro-life movement on the internet can express themselves through the online community as regards to the movement. Also, daily reminders in form of email massages/texts will be sent to the participants, reminding them of the prayer and devotionals and also providing suggested readings.
In a statement released last week Friday, Cardinal Dolan said, “Most Americans oppose a policy allowing legal abortion for virtually any reason — though many still do not realize that this is what the Supreme Court gave us.”
“Most want to protect unborn children at later stages of pregnancy, to regulate or limit the practice of abortion, and to stop the use of taxpayer dollars for the destruction of unborn children,” he continued. “Yet many who support important goals of the pro-life movement do not identify as ‘pro-life,’ a fact which should lead us to examine how we present our pro-life vision to others.”
Cardinal Dolan expressed sadness over the fact that the Congress last year couldn’t approve into law, the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act which was meant to give medical workers the right to turn down participation in abortions because of their religion or moral objections.
“While this is disturbing,” said Cardinal Dolan, “it is also an opportunity.”
Pro-lifers should reach out to “the great majority of Americans” who are “open to hearing a message of reverence for life. … We who present the pro-life message must always strive to be better messengers,” he concluded.
