From Archbishop Donoghue

Remarks at the Georgia State Capitol
January 22, 1994
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[See Georgia Bulletin account]

Dear Friends,

How different is the anniversary that we observe today from the anniversaries of our normal life. They are usually occasions for rejoicing, for togetherness, and for the re-telling and replaying of happy times and important events. But today’s anniversary, the anniversary of the decision Roe versus Wade is an anniversary of infamy, a day to remember the birth of legalized death in the United States of America, and a recurring reminder that in our current society, we must always be ready to defend the moral imperative of the sanctity of life, putting our peace aside, and confronting the forces lined up against us.

In their face, and in the face of a government which seems bent upon forcing us to accept abortion, we deliver once again our testament of resistance and defiance. We proclaim that Life is God’s to give and God’s to take away. No man or woman may scorn this truth with impunity, and no government may legislate against God’s prerogative without risking destruction and downfall.

Today, once again we assert, and we shall continue to assert that the basic human rights guaranteed by our American laws are inalienable, not because they are granted through common consent or by law, but because they are freely given - freely given - by the Creator of all men and women, Almighty God. Our dignity is a reflection of the Deity, and our rights are the expression of His truth heard through the voice of human reason. Among these rights, none is more fundamental than the right to life itself, and no innocent human life already begun can be deliberately terminated without offense to the Author of all life. Therefore, we say once again, that there can be no moral acceptance of the United States Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade, which professes to legalize abortion in all the states, and which views life not as an absolute value in itself, but as a value relative to the whims and fancies of human nature - a value consignable to the profiteering greed of abortion factories and to their agents of death, wolves who hide under the sheep’s garments of doctors, nurses, and “health” counselors.

On the day that Roe vs. Wade was handed down, a great bishop of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Krol of Philadelphia, issued this statement on behalf of all right-minded Christians:

The Supreme Court’s decision is an unspeakable tragedy for this nation. It is hard to think of any decision in the two hundred years of our history which has had more disastrous implications for our stability as a civilized society. The ruling drastically diminishes the constitutional guarantee of the right to life and, in doing so, sets in motion developments which are terrifying to contemplate.

My friends, the time of contemplating the terrible has passed - the terrible is now a gruesome reality in our very neighborhoods, and in this civilized society, thousands of babies die every day, victims of a monster who prowls the streets of our cities and who grows larger day by day. On this January 22nd, 1994, we renew the struggle against this monster, which we will fight on all fronts, and in whatever ways are available to us, according to our various consciences. Above all, we must stem the tide of popular opinion by writing our senators and congressmen, and telling them that the insanity must stop, that our religious sensibilities are offended and outraged by the suggestion that we must pay for abortions, and for the health-care rigamarole which surrounds abortion clinics and their programs. Members of my staff will be circulating today, and they will be happy tp provide you with materials and advice to aid you in making your beliefs known in Washington, a city that likes to forget the power of God, and the irresistible impulse of faith.

But we have not forgotten and we will not forget that God has sent His love into the world, a power that can stand up to any evil, no matter what its proportions or its strengths. It is no small enemy we face in the fight for life. But just as David put his faith in God and went forth to slay the giant Goliath, let us also put our faith in God, as we meet the enemy, taking as our pledge of solidarity and courage those words which David spoke:

. . . I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts. . . The Lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe. . . For the battle is the Lord’s. . .

Indeed, my friends, the battle is the Lord’s, and so too will be the victory.

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