Sunday, January 24, 2010

A second D&P partner supports new abortion policy in Brazil

A few days ago, I reported that one of Development and Peace's (D&P) partners in Brazil had publicly endorsed the government's proposed policy that would make abortion a human right and would greatly advance the homosexualist agenda. They also publicly rebuked the Brazilian Catholic Church for requesting amendments to this policy.  Read about it here.

I've now learned that a second D&P partner in Brazil called Movimento de Mulheres Camponesas (MMC) has also publicly and unconditionally endorsed this policy.  Their article entitled "Who's afraid of human rights?" supports the complete and integral implementation of the policy, which has been widely criticized by the Catholic Church in Brazil.  The article also makes a veiled rebuke of the Catholic Church by criticizing "conservative sectors" of society that have made "unfounded criticisms" of the policy.  You can read MMC's article in Portuguese here.

So we now have two partners of Development and Peace that are supporting a pro-abortion and pro-homosexual policy while publicly rebuking the Brazilian Catholic Church.

This is crunch time for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).  As we are now witnessing, the D&P scandal is not some abstract or theoretical debate.  D&P's partners are contributing to the imminent legalization of abortion in Brazil.  We are witnessing this process live, right before our eyes.  This will have real and bloody consequences for Brazilians and their unborn babies very, very soon.

Are there any bishops in Canada that give a damn?  How can they sleep at night knowing that they will have been complicit in legalizing abortion in the world's largest Catholic country?  Is there any bishop left who will rise up and defend the unborn?

Your Graces, I'm sure you have many excuses for your inaction.  

Maybe you think that you did your part when you wrote some pastoral letter or gave a homily on abortion a few years ago.  Unfortunately, that's not even close to being enough.  It's relatively easy to write a beautiful letter and post it on your diocesan website where nobody will read it. 

Or perhaps you think that one man acting alone cannot make a difference when the majority of bishops are supportive of Development and Peace. 

Or maybe you think that it wouldn't look good to break ranks with your brother bishops, as if the image of unity projected by the CCCB supersedes the Truth of the Gospel.  Do you think that it's more important to exhibit a common front than to prevent the slaughter of thousands of innocent babes?  Do you think your distorted notion of episcopal solidarity excuses you from fulfilling the obligations of your sacred office?

I'm sure you have no shortage of rationalizations to justify your inaction.  But they all boil down to cowardice or ignorance of what God is really expecting from you.  How can you possibly claim to be pro-life when with one hand you're writing a letter against abortion but with the other hand you writing cheques to advance abortion in the Global South?


I understand that it's not easy to fight against the establishment.  It's much easier to keep quiet on watch the hockey game on Saturday night.  But don't forget that you were given a special grace from the Holy Spirit when you were elevated to the rank of bishop.  You've been endowed with the same gift of the Spirit that was granted to the Apostles.  You are capable of breaking the code of silence being imposed by corrupt bishops.  God has given you all the graces you need.  It's up to you to muster enough testosterone to take a stand. 


If you fulfill your duty, you will find that God will support you and give you strength and consolation.  You'll also find that many Catholics will rally behind you.  We will love you for your courageous stand.  We will support you in whatever means you request -- publicly or privately, through prayer or through works, financially or otherwise -- in order to bring change to D&P.  We will be humble and loving servants at your disposal, eager to lend a hand.  You won't be alone.

So what will it be?  On the day of your death, what will you say to Almighty God while He is surrounded by the souls of the aborted babies who never had a chance to live because of D&P?



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I invite all readers to join me in a prayer for bishops:

Heavenly Father,
In these difficult times when the spirit of the age threatens Christian values, grant to all bishops holiness of life
and wisdom to proclaim the Gospel with faithfulness, boldness and charity, so that humanity may grow closer to You.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.


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