“I have appointed (you) watchman… you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.” Ezekiel 33: 7-8
As a priest and pastor I feel the weight of these words from our first reading. If I see grave evil coming and fail to warn my parishioners, then God will hold me responsible.
Therefore, I must speak plainly that I do feel there is grave evil threatening our country today that requires me to issue a clear warning.
I speak of the evil of ongoing legal abortion, which we, quite simply, have the power to stop by casting our votes to defend the lives of 10s of millions of unborn children.
The bishops of our country have identified this evil as the preeminent issue of our election:
“The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed.” USCCB, Introductory letter to Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship
When you add to this the intrinsic evils of homosexual marriage, gender confusion and religious persecution, we see a coalescence of forces gathering and making inroads into our country that is destroying the moral fiber of our nation.
There are many issues on both sides of the political spectrum, but when we consider the number of lives being lost to abortion, the long term effects both physically and psychologically on the mothers who abort, the attack on marriage and the family and the ensuing religious persecution of Christians due to these evils becoming entrenched in our society, I feel we are obliged to act to stop this evil.
Yes, there are evils on both sides of the political spectrum. But all of them put together cannot outweigh our obligation to stop the ongoing killing of tens of millions of unborn children.
To the degree that I have been appointed watchman over these two parishes as pastor, I feel the moral weight to warn my parishioners that those who would vote for a candidate that has said they will continue to vigorously promote abortion as a basic “human right,” do so at the peril of their soul.
This is not a political “push.” I know there are other priests and even bishops who would disagree with me on this. But I ask you to consider the harsh criticism we have rightfully given to those bishops and priests who were aware of child abuse and allowed it to continue. Is not abortion the worst form of child abuse? How can we let this abuse continue in our country?!