...and I would like to share a couple of columns I wrote for the U Matuna in relation to that event which saw the first to die for Christ.
The first column was written in 2011 at the height of a battle with our legislature over a pro-life bill that would have required that a woman seeking an abortion be given information about her alternatives as well as information relevant to the procedure she was about to undergo.
During this almost five year long battle, certain senators tried to deflect the fact that they supported abortion by criticizing those who opposed it for not doing more to facilitate adoptions. The criticism was laughable on its face because those casting the criticism (lawmakers) were the ones most able to do something about adoptions if they wished.
But beyond their charade, there was the horrible reality that while Guam was aborting babies at the rate of one a day, Child Protective Services had confirmed that there was at least a five year waiting list for adoptive parents. In other words there were no children available to adopt.
Our bill simply wanted to put a phone number into the hands of a woman who may not have known that there were men and women willing to adopt and love her baby if she couldn't. Yet Guam's pro-abortion industry, led by some very well-known people in this community, fought us for five years.
And even now, after the law has been passed and finally implemented, it is ignored. Earlier this year I did a Freedom of Information Act request with Guam Medical Records to see if abortion providers had reported the data required by the new law. Not one report was turned in as required. (And sadder still there seems little will on the part of our government to enforce the law.)
The following column was written after a pro-life rally hosted by The Esperansa Project. At the event, two adoptive parents shared their joy about finally being able to become parents and have a child to love. How sad that we have powerful people both in the legislature and in the business of finance who want to keep Guam's deplorable abortion mills going and even oppose letting mothers know that there are others willing to take, love, and raise their babies. And how even more sad that they keep getting elected and getting our business. (Archbishop Apuron is one of them's biggest customer.)
Learn more at www.GuamOpenGovernment.org
Friday, December 23, 2011
The slaughter of innocent children is probably not something you want to read about on Christmas Day. But a few days after celebrating Christmas, the Church liturgically remembers the slaughter of a particular group of innocent children. The Feast of the Holy Innocents (Dec. 28) reminds us that the most helpless and defenseless were the first to die for Christ, and in fact, died in his stead.
Continued
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My 2012 column is titled A CRY IS HEARD IN RAMAH (Mt. 2:18). It was written after another slaughter of the innocents at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut. And it focuses on a very dangerous response to the shooting by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who, sadly, appear to grow ever more compromised in their long running affair with ever-bigger government.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
A CRY IS HEARD IN RAMAH
Much has been said about Connecticut and I hesitate to add to the mountain of words. I have watched my own parents bury a son, and in the end, there are no words, only - as C.S. Lewis said in “A Grief Observed” - “the red-hot jab of memory”.
But apart from the incalculable pain suffered by those who lost a child or loved one - a pain no explanation will ever assuage, the ensuing culture war over who or what to blame is at once fascinating, repulsive, and perhaps, instructive.
To all Bishops. Remember, first and foremost, you are priests and then Bishops. It is your job to set the tone for personal holiness for all the priests who must follow you. You must be certain to secure the faith of all who are under you by promoting only the true tenets of faith in the schools and from the pulpit."
ReplyDelete"You are not given your office through Divine Providence as a means of gaining wealth or popularity. You must lead in Truth without regard for others' opinions. If you do so, there will be no confusion. Never be afraid of identifying evil or calling a sin a sin. That is your duty."
"Finally, do not command but lead with loving respect for those under your charge. Then loving respect will return to you."
Thank you Tim, for this refreshing of memories. Never hurts...
ReplyDeleteI see your return to Guam, started right where you left it, for the wedding of your beautiful daughter.
Just back to the Pacific Area, after a three weeks trip to France and Spain. Looking forward to catch up.
I shall be quite busy with things until the New Year, but I expect to share with our readers, on what I personally and through meetings, found during this latest trip.
Looking forward to reunite with the Jungle soon.
God bless you all.
Im still with BOG but actually want out of there. Can anyone out there suggest banks on Guam that may hold a pro-life ideology or at least not support abortion or especially fund it?
ReplyDeleteSpecifically it is not BOG which supports and funds abortion, but its president and owner - who of course is supported and funded by the bank. In this case it is not about identifying which banks do this or that, we are only concerned about BOG because its owner and president radically and publicly not only supports abortion, but militates any attempt to legally regulate it. She even went so far as to give oral testimony against a bill that mandated that living children who survive abortions be given normal medical care. It is a real tragedy that our archbishop gives her business so much of his.
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