Today she regrets what she did, but it is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. In the aftermath of the Roe vs. Wade infamous decision, that could refer to countless would-be mothers who chose to abort their babies for reasons they will have to answer to God for, but actually we are referring to one person - Norma McCorvey who, in 1969 took on the Church, the Supreme Court and God by becoming "Roe" in the Roe vs. Wade landmark decision that forever changed the face of the earth for the worse. Back during the administration of Lyndon Baines Johnson the country was embroiled in a bitter battle over the atrocities of war in Vietnam. Little did American citizens or the world realize this war was nothing compared with the war that would ensue from the U.S. Supreme Court decision. Hundreds of thousands of our boys died in the rice swamps of Southeast Asia, but that is minimal compared to the nearly 100 million who have been snuffed out through abortion. That rate goes even higher when we consider the new methods of "painless abortion" today through the notorious abortion pills. But back at the end of the decade of the sixties when America was coming to grips with the end of innocence, its citizens blindly embraced the culture of death with open arms. The woman in queston - Norma McCorvey - one of the first to request the moniker Ms., was pregnant and sought an abortion but was denied. She took her case to the Texas supreme court and was overruled by the wise judges of the lone star state. Undaunted, her lawyers appealed to a higher court and the rest, to ours and God's great sadness, is, as they say - history. The perplexing point of all this is that Norma McCorvey did not have the abortion. In fact she never had an abortion. She conceived the baby and gave the child up for adoption. This would happen twice more over the years and both times she came to full term and handed them over to adoption agencies. Strange, you say. Yes, it is. Could it be because she was afraid of the procedure that she so vehemently promoted? Could it be because she was also the victim in this bizarre case, that she truly did not know the ramifications and was hoodwinked and used by the attorneys and lobbyists she had put her trust in? Let's let Ms. Roe tell us in her own words: "I bought all of the feminine rhetoric when I was a young woman in the sixties." By her own admission it was not until recently when she was forced to acknowledge a bumper sticker that said "Abortion stops a beating heart" that she realized what she had done, "I didn't know it at the time, but that was the first time I ever put a face with abortion" she admitted during a talk she gave last year at Holy Cross Church in the diocese of Dallas.
Why would she be allowed to speak in a church, a Catholic church no less. Because three years ago God touched the sinner and she repented. No she didn't become a Catholic, but she was converted to the evangelical sect of the Protestant church and since then has spoken out fiercely against abortion. Catholics can take heart and credit that they did play a role in this conversion for the Reverend Benham would join Bishop Charles Grahmann of Dallas and a group of hundreds of Catholics each month on Saturday morning outside an appointed abortuary, usually in North Dallas, to pray the Rosary reverently in petition to Heaven for deliverance from this evil and for the conversion of those who fostered the culture of death. This editor took part many times in these Rosaries and felt an immense feeling of encouragement that what we were doing was not only right, but necessary. Yet it is not enough. There is much more work to do. The fruits of prayer are beginning to manifest themself, yet satan's legions continue to muster all they can in degrading human life by promoting their dead-end culture of death.
By Norma McCorvey's own admission she has miles to go since she is still not convinced all abortion is wrong. For two full decades plus she had crusaded for the rights of abortion, working in numerous abortuaries and clashing with many pro-life supporters who pleaded with and for as well as praying for her. Those prayers were heard when, through a strange twist of fate or should we say "Godincidence," an Operation Rescue office opened right next door to the pregnancy crisis center where she worked. By her own admission her conscience had been bothering her greatly for what she had seen over the years and, because of the friendliness and concern of some of the peaceable volunteers who worked at Operation Rescue and who exuded Christian love, she gravitated towards their love and concern. It wasn't long before she began confiding in them of the horrors next door...often just to get it off her chest. A family known as the Mackey family, committed to pro-life, volunteered often at the offices of Operation Rescue where the Reverend Skip Benham set up headquarters for the national organization. The innocence of youth came forward in the person of one of the Mackey's young daughters named Emily who pestered Norma to join them at their church. Norma resisted, admitting later, "I was never able to accept the invitations because I felt too ashamed of what I was doing and did." As the days and months stretched on the bond between a troubled McCorvey and the Mackey family tightened and finally, in God's time, she agreed to go to church with them. Less than three weeks later she was baptized by Rev. Benham at the church. She left her job at the abortuary and joined the troops at Operation Rescue for the next year or so proclaiming the atrocities and evils of what really goes on at the abortion clinics, "Though I worked in the clinic, I was still blinded." She realized later, by her own admission and words, that, "The doctors claim they care about women, but they don't. The only thing the doctors care about is money. These women are in trouble, and the doctors are not concerned with that." In late summer last year she left Operation Rescue to strike start a self-developed ministry of her own called Roe No More. This month she has begun a tour of fifteen cities, promoting her book "Won by Love" and preaching the horrors of abortion. This weekend she joins many pro-life leaders like Father Paul Marx, Father Frank Pavone, Alan Keyes, and countless others including Skip Benham, to pray and march for life in our nation's capitol for "March for Life."
Yes, the "lost sheep" has returned to the fold and we rejoice as Jesus says in Luke 15: 7, "I say to you that, even so, there will be joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine just who have no need of repentance." But there are many other sheep out there who are still lost, many shepherds who are slumbering and not watching their flocks, allowing them to stumble, to stray, to fall into the pitfalls and traps set by satan's wolves. We need to do all we can to reverse twenty five years of horror, to make amends for a quarter of a century that has taken more lives of children than were taken in nineteen centuries through abortion. We need to intensify our efforts to bring the sheep back for the Good Shepherd reminds us constantly in John 10: 10 why He became man, suffered and died for us: "I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
To review all past installments of this on-going series, go to Archives beginning with the inaugural A CALL TO PEACE internet issue in January 1996. volume 7, no. 1.
On this day, I, Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son of God, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity and Savior of the world, do solemnly tell the world:
Behold, the chalice of the suffering of the innocents is overflowing. Behold, the stench of the slaughter of the innocents is greater than in that moment in Bethlehem when Herod, My adversary slaughtered the Holy Innocents.
Behold, I, Jesus Christ, do solemnly say to all the world: THE EVIL SIN OF ABORTION MUST END NOW! This evil rocks the Heavens. All the hosts of Heaven weep, and My Own Most Sacred Heart sheds drops of Blood for this outrage!
When shall you hear Me, O world gone mad by satan's designs? When will you once again recognize My Sovereignty as King of Kings, Creator of all life!?! When, O world, shall you cease your abominations? When, O when shall you fall to your knees before My True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament and beg of Me to stop this horrific deed?
I do solemnly tell you that there is no violence committed against any one of My children in My Name that is pleasing before My Throne. Those who use My Name to murder a murderer at any abortion clinic is satan's victim and not My servant! I alone Am Life. I alone give Life. I alone take Life!
Therefore, hear Me, O world, especially all bishops and priests: The sin of abortion will not stop until all reverence is returned to Me in The Most Blessed Sacrament. I want My churches open at every hour! I want My Tabernacle to be returned to Its rightful place where My children might come to Me. I want to be placed in the Monstrance, and I want Adoration of My True Presence to be a full part of every church.
I want every bishop to announce this in his Diocese and to hear no dispute from any priest or lay committee. I want all bishops and priests to faithfully lead My children in Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament, and I want My True Presence in The Most Blessed Sacrament to be taken in solemn procession to every abortion clinic. There I ask My children, priests, religious and lay, to kneel in prayer and to humbly recite the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, so that through Divine Mercy abortion ends.
I do solemnly tell My people: Let My Order of Divine Mercy begin and let its Rule be lived fully. It is through the on-going work I gave to My saint Faustina that I, Jesus Christ, desire for My Divine Mercy to be poured out upon your sinful world. It is My Plan that through this new Institute the world shall come to drink from the Cup of My Most Precious Blood, that My Mercy may be visibly seen and you shall be healed in soul, body and mind.
Hear Me, for soon the world shall be given a great sign of My Presence among you. Let all who have ears hear!
No longer shall abortion be tolerated. No more shall I allow man to commit even more evil in My Name, which is Most Holy.
ENOUGH! Return to Me, for already My angels stand at the ready to bring the full weight of Justice to the world.
Hear My Words and those of My Holy Mother, and live these Words. I Come! Prepare!
Speaking to the American people regarding the embargo at a reporter's urging, the Holy Father said in English, "To change, to change." He added, "It seems to me that in the United States the papal visit is followed with deep interest. Perhaps ... both Cuba and the United States are looking for a better future -- both." The Pontiff was also asked what he wanted to hear from Cuban President Fidel Castro to which he replied: "I want to hear above all the truth. That he tells me this truth, that belongs to him, as a president, a man and a 'commandante', so to speak, of the revolution."
Meanwhile, the Miami Herald newspaper reported today that Cuba's intelligence agency has spied on the Catholic Church for decades including enrolling spies in seminaries. The information came to the newspaper from three Cuban defectors including a former army colonel who served as aide to Castro's brother, Raul, and two former officials in the Interior Ministry which is in charge of national security. "The Church was always seen as a danger, because it is the only force inside the country capable of bringing people together and even organizing a subtle form of resistance," one Interior Ministry defector said.
We asked Bishop Banks if he would be going to the game Sunday and he said, in a way, for he was escaping the cold frozen tundra of Wisconsin for the warmer climes of Havana to join the Holy Father at the final Papal Mass. The Bishop referred to this event as even bigger than the Super Bowl, dubbing it the "Papal Bowl." Bishop Banks had wanted to add a little incentive to his friendly wager with Archbishop Chaput by inducing the latter to wear a cheesehead hat to the Archbishop's next Presbyterial Meeting in Denver should the Broncos fall short, but thought better of it. Bishop Banks, who has been head of the Green Bay Diocese for seven years after serving as an auxiliary bishop to Cardinal Bernard Law in Boston, is confident the Packers will repeat. Last year he feasted on Lobster after winning a similar bet with his former boss.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Chaput, who has been in Mexico for three weeks undergoing intensive accelerated training in Spanish, is heading back to Denver this week. However he will make a short stop in San Diego this weekend as the personal guest of an influential Catholic in the Denver Archdiocese - namely the owner of the Broncos Pat Bowlen who will host the Archbishop and a priest-friend of his from South Dakota in the owner's private box for the game. No word yet whether San Diego's Bishop Robert Brom will join them.
This Super Bowl takes on a strong Catholic flavor with the Archbishop in attendance and the Catholic ownership of both teams. While Mr. Bowlen is sole owner of the Broncos, Green Bay is publicly owned with thousands of Wisconsin Catholics holding shares in the team. On the field there is a strong Catholic presence as well. Beginning with star quarterback Brett Favre and a host of others including tight end Mark Chmura. Others are Jeff Dellenbach, Santana Dotson, Mike Prior, Marco Rivera, Jeff Thomason, and Frank Winters to name a few. According to team chaplain Steve Newman, no one lives their faith more sincerely than Notre Dame grad and outstanding punter Craig Hentrich. Some of the Catholic coaches who serve as inspiration to the Catholic Packer players include defensive whiz Fritz Shermer, as well as the quartet of Gill Haskel, Tom Lovat, Mike Sherman, and Bob Valesente. Longtime Catholic team chaplain Father John Blaha will be there with the team in San Diego.
With the Denver Broncos a few of the known Catholics on the team carry a lot of weight including sturdy wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, center Tom Nalen and defensive stalwarts Mike Lodish, Steve Russ and all-pro Harry Swayne from Rutgers.
The Packers may claim more Catholics on the team as well as being heirs to the Lombardi legend for Vince Lombardi was a staunch Catholic. This editor attended St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota with Vince's son Vince Jr. and we knew first-hand that Vince never wore his faith on his sleeve but lived it fully. For his successes he had a trophy named after him; the same trophy these two teams will be battling for. While the NFL has Lombardi's trophy, we suspect Lombardi has his trophy in Heaven. As for the outcome of Sunday's affair in San Diego, don't underestimate the prayer-power of the Archbishop of Denver, who would seem to have an "in" with the Holy Father after his brilliant and inspirational speech to his fellow bishops at the American Synod calling for a return to striving for personal holiness. If Denver does pull off what many say "would be a miracle," the Archbishop has indicated he will not celebrate or rub it in. Rather he will stay around after the game to minister to heart-broken Green Bay fans, consoling and counseling the cheeseheads.
Yet Bishop Banks is confident the Archbishop will have to make a hasty exit. And don't forget the odds that Archbishop Chaput's compadre-in-para-mutuel will be in Havana with his holiness at the same time the big game is going on. So who has the better "in" with the Pope is up for conjecture since we were unable to reach the Holy Father for a comment, but we strongly suspect he will remain neutral. After all, he has more pressing matters at hand. Guess, we'll have to leave it up to the great Coach above. No, not Vince Lombardi, but rather the Almighty One. They don't come better than that! Deo Gratias!
