Real Catholic Blog

The following was issued by Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests For Life, earlier tonight. He urges prayer to end abortion and asks people to relate their experiences of prayer in saving lives from abortion on his Facebook page.

Brothers and Sisters,

Prayer is the cornerstone of the pro-life movement and the best weapon we have to save lives, always in God’s name. We have no doubt that prayer saves lives, but let us share now with each other and the world how prayer has specifically saved lives within the pro-life movement.

We invite each of you to share your story of how prayer has saved a life. We will share these stories with our members and with the world. Let us show the world how the Lord has heard our prayers and the lives that have been saved as a result.

God bless you. Can’t wait to read your stories!

- Fr. Frank Pavone

I don’t like saying I told you so — okay, in many respects, I do — but I hope the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have learned their lesson. Today, U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (a name that leaves no doubt about its ruthlessness), called for the IRS to revoke the Church’s non-profit status (see her piece on Politico.com). This is the thanks the Bishops get for swimming with the sharks all these years on health care, immigration and a number of other “social justice” issues.

The Bishops’ crime? They adamantly supported attaching the pro-life Stupak Amendment to the health care bill passed (barely) late Saturday night. Rep. Woolsey thinks the Bishops are more lobbyists than moral conscience, more fat cat than free speech; chutzpah judgments from her as she knows only of the former and none of the latter in each case.

Unfortunately, the Bishops think they have won a victory with the Stupak Amendment. In fact, they have only been played for enablers in this monstrous bill potentially becoming law. While they think they may have protected the unborn, Ms. Woolsey’s “progressives” eventually will strip out the Stupak Amendment. Meanwhile, the rest of the bill will ration care for the sick and elderly, making this a death on demand bill for people at any stage of life.