Posted on 06/11/2013 12:12:45 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
Now that the trial for abortion provider Kermit Gosnell has ended with a conviction, many are asking what Philadelphia plans to do with the 47 bodies from the case.
After Gosnell's arrest in 2011, then-Archbishop Justin Rigali asked the district attorney's office for the bodies of the aborted fetuses. After [the trial] ended and Gosnell was sentenced to life in prison, Rigali's successor, Archbishop Charles Chaput, has renewed the request to bury the bodies.
Francis Maier, assistant to Chaput, said "We're not interested in turning it into a circus. Points were made in the trial; now we just want to pay proper respect to the remains. We assume this is going to happen; we just haven't been able to secure it yet."
The ultimate decision will come from the medical examiner's office.
Investigators found 47 bodies from abortions stuffed in cat litter, bags, boxes and juice containers in Gosnell's squalid Philadelphia clinic. On Friday, many anti-abortion activists took to Twitter to demand a proper burial with the hashtag #gosnellbabies.
Frank Pavone, a Catholic priest who heads New York-based Priests for Life, was also among those requesting the bodies. In May, Pavone performed a service to give proper names to the dead babies.
He said he would like to perform a Catholic Mass for the babies and then hold a separate interdenominational burial service.
"We can begin to reverse this dynamic of pain and bring about some healing," Pavone said. "It's a step of healing, of closure for those who have been following this."
Liam Goligher, pastor of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, said he would be interested in an interdenominational service.
"I think there's good hope to think that these children are with God," Goligher said. "Some respect has to be shown to the babies."
(Excerpt) Read more at religiontoday.com ...
I think any decent person within 200 miles of Philadelphia should consider attending the funeral. Entire parishes and congregations should come. We need to SHOW that babies are not garbage.
Poor little ones. Their blood cries from the ground.
I thought I heard that the request was denied by the medical examiner, who had custody of the bodies.
I hope they keep trying. Those babies deserve proper burials. An interfaith service sounds like a good idea.
Anybody know?
Catholic ping!
A baby’s body was found near the RR tracks near the Catholic Church we now attend; the church turned all out to give that baby a Mass and burial. It was one of the reasons we started going to that church.
God honors those who give the dead -— especially the nameless, kinless victim -— a decent burial. That’s underlined in Tobit.
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