An Urgent Commitment
-- Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
The elections of November 2, 2004 are pivotal for the pro-life movement, and it is imperative that on that day we elect more public officials who are willing to do something to restore full protection to the lives of unborn children. The ability of Congress and of the states to make progress in this arena, as well as the configuration of the Supreme Court for many years to come, are at stake in this election. People on both sides of the abortion controversy acknowledge that the makeup of the Supreme Court, and the fate of Roe vs. Wade, are key consequences of how we will vote this year.
Since the beginning of the pro-life movement, we who defend the unborn have carried out our work steadily whether the political climate was favorable or unfavorable, and that will be the case until our goal is reached. We in the pro-life movement do not fall into the error of putting our responsibilities on somebody else's shoulders, or of expecting government to do our work. Politics is not our salvation, God is. Yet while we don't want government to do our work, we demand that government do its own work, and that means, first of all, passing laws that protect the lives of all citizens, including the unborn. Moreover, while government does its work, we must insure that it does not stand in the way of ours. And while God, rather than politics, is our salvation, it is also true that our response to Him includes carrying out our political responsibilities.
Elections are not contests between two or more candidates; they are contests between two or more teams. Because of the supreme urgency of this upcoming election, and because of how close so many races will be, every pro-life individual has a serious moral obligation to work, in each race, for the victory of the candidate who will do more than his or her opponent to increase protection for unborn children. Each person, organization, and Church has a serious obligation to influence as many voters as possible, to contact its membership to insure that they are registered to vote and informed on the candidate's positions on the right to life, and to establish mechanisms to facilitate maximum turnout at the voting booths.
Given the seriousness of this moment, I have made the commitment to spend all my time, energy, and resources between now and Election Day to accomplish this task and assist others to do so. While every activity in the pro-life movement has importance and urgency, it is critical that every available resource be utilized to bring about a favorable outcome in this election, and that election-related activities be given priority by every person in the movement.
God's judgment on a nation does not necessarily consist of raining down fire from heaven. It consists, instead, of allowing His people to live with the consequences of their own choices. May God be merciful to us on November 2.
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