Priests for Life: Abortion industry collapsing

By Bill Howard and Jim Myers

The Colorado Catholic Herald

Diocese of Colorado Springs

5/15/2006

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. As abortion doctors reveal more details of the procedures and more women who have had abortions are speaking out about their awful experience, the abortion industry is collapsing, said Father Frank Pavone, national director for Staten Island, N.Y.-based Priests for Life.

Father Pavone is one of the Catholic Church’s most visible pro-life speakers, with a regular column in Catholic newspapers and a television show on EWTN. He has assisted the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family and has lectured around the world. He is currently assigned in the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, where he is launching a new religious order, Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.

During a whirlwind visit April 28-30 that included visits to several parishes and talks to local pro-life groups, priests of the diocese and politicians, Father Pavone spoke about the state of the abortion industry and encouraged the pro-life movement here to step up its work with promoting pro-life legislation and speaking out to others on abortion.

“The momentum is in our direction,” he said during his main public address April 29 at Holy Apostles Church. “This is an industry crumbling from the inside.”

Father Pavone said that the abortion industry is actually less worried about not having enough doctors to perform abortions. Father Pavone said he knows many doctors who have left the industry.

“It shows that the pro-abortion lobby has not and never will be able to take the stigma away from abortion,” he said.  

“You show up at these clinics and lives will be changed by your presence. The abortion industry knows this sometimes better than we do.”

Father Pavone urged the local pro-life movement to “expose the evil” by showing people the reality of abortion both during the procedure and the physical and emotional aftermath that include sterilization, depression, intense regret and possibly death.

Earlier in the day, Father Pavone addressed the Colorado Springs Diocese Respect Life Committee and concelebrated Mass with Father Bill Carmody, diocesan Respect Life director, for approximately 80 people across the street from the Planned Parenthood Clinic on West Colorado Ave.

In his homily at Planned Parenthood, Father Pavone challenged people to “take to the street and not be afraid to show what’s going on.”

“This morning is beautiful, the sun is shining and there’s a cool breeze. It seems peaceful, but is not, because there is injustice across the street,” he said. “We should not say there is peace where there is no peace.”

On April 28, Father Pavone addressed the diocesan priests at their spring retreat at St. Malo in Estes Park, met with local pro-life leaders and politicians at a Life Network luncheon and spoke to St. Mary’s High School students.

“There is no such thing as an abortion that is necessary,” Father Pavone told St. Mary’s students, relaying reasons people get abortions. “It’s not because of freedom of choice. It’s exactly for the opposite reason: people who feel they have no freedom and no choice. They feel trapped, desperate, afraid.”

Father Pavone said those who get abortions are often made to feel they have a choice between their baby and their education, careers and other matters. Priests for Life offers help to those considering an abortion with financial and medical assistance, as well as many other aspects such as adoption, housing, education and employment assistance.

“The good news is the help is available. The sad news is those who need that help don’t know it’s there,” said Father Pavone.

Friends are important to stopping people from getting abortions, said Father Pavone.

“Friends don’t let friends drive drunk because they don’t want their friend dead or making others dead. That’s why friends don’t let friends get abortions: because they don’t want their friend dead or making others dead,” Father Pavone said. “There is nothing that claims more human life. There is not a single disease that takes more human lives than abortion does. . . . Poverty doesn’t come anywhere near a fraction of those dying from abortion every day.

“Every day, by surgical abortion alone, 4,000 children are killed.”

Men are just as responsible for abortion as women, according to Father Pavone, and carry the responsibility to protect the child. A father can often stop an abortion from taking place by simply showing care and kindness to the mother of the child instead of an uncaring approach to the unborn child.

“What she wants to hear is: ‘I’m with you. We’re going to see this through. I’m going to stand by you and by our child.’ You’ve got to be the source of strength,” said Father Pavone.