Bishops speak of ‘moral crisis’ before March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia

 

Archbishop J. Michael Miller celebrates Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Delta before the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 9, 2024. He prayed that they “may be worthy and effective messengers of hope.” / Credit: Paul Schratz

Victoria, Canada, May 11, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).

At a pro-life Mass before the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller prayed that those heading to the British Columbia Legislature “may be worthy and effective messengers of hope to a world where self-centeredness, greed, violence, and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts.”

The acceptance of abortion in particular in the law and the popular mind is “a telling sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense, which is becoming more and more incapable of distinguishing between good and evil,” the archbishop said.

He told the pro-life worshippers that they are “praying in a special way that reverence for life will grow and increasingly be realized in concrete ways in our province of British Columbia and in our nation of Canada.”

Speaker Brittany Garisto speaks at the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 9, 2024, about her love for her baby, who died at a young age. Credit: Paul Schratz
Speaker Brittany Garisto speaks at the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 9, 2024, about her love for her baby, who died at a young age. Credit: Paul Schratz

Speakers at the legislature told the crowd of about 1,000 people that they need to remember the causes behind society’s choices of accepting death through abortion and euthanasia.

Victoria Bishop Gary Gordon told the crowd that fear lies behind those who choose abortion and euthanasia. “Everybody loves life,” Gordon said, but fear of an unplanned pregnancy or being abandoned leads them toward what they see as the solution to their fear.

“If we listen to people who choose things we don’t agree with, listen deeply — you will hear the fear. And we have the ability to dispel the fear, with love.”

Archdiocese of Vancouver pro-life chaplain Father Larry Lynn at the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 9, 2024. Credit: Paul Schratz
Archdiocese of Vancouver pro-life chaplain Father Larry Lynn at the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 9, 2024. Credit: Paul Schratz

Amanda Achtman, whose mission to end euthanasia in Canada led to her online project Dying to Meet You, reminded the crowd that people who choose euthanasia typically fear “the loss of ability to participate in meaningful life activities.” Doctors who perform euthanasia “think that they are doing something good, she said.

“The dying person deserves not to be abandoned as they’re suffering and dying. When someone requests euthanasia, it betrays that insecurity.”

Participants at the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, walk down a street with signs calling for life to be respected at all stages. May 9, 2024. Credit: Paul Schratz
Participants at the March for Life in Victoria, British Columbia, walk down a street with signs calling for life to be respected at all stages. May 9, 2024. Credit: Paul Schratz

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition said: “We have a feeling of hopelessness among many people … We have a serious problem with loneliness and feelings of lack of hope and meaning so what we really have is a cultural abandonment going on. This is not about freedom and choice and autonomy, it’s about killing people who are in despair. And those people need you as people of hope.”


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9 Comments

  1. Nothing like a mother’s love is seen in Brittany Garisto’s eyes speaking of her loss. A mother’s love is seen throughout nature.
    It’s mating time for birds here in upstate New York, my ‘cabin in the woods’ a favorite nesting place to my delight because I love birds. Lady birds protect their nests, the male the valiant guardian flying about, even watchful of me [one can never be too careful]. Last year a remarkable sight. Grey squirrels are notorious egg snatchers. A large grey ran down a tree egg in mouth chased by a robin both involved in a wild melee on the ground, the squirrel apparently surrendering to her ferocity.
    How often have mothers made a similar last stand against a crazed lover, even wacko husband, perhaps an intruder. A scene of violent intrusion [shown by the media] was captured on home surveillance video when the intruder, a massive man burst through the door and pounded a reclining woman then bolted up the stairs. She managed to revive and met him as he descended and received an even more terrible beating by the monster, then the video was stopped. Perhaps I’m mistaken, that there likely was a child or two upstairs.
    Our anomaly today is the disparity of a mother’s love and a mother’s disinterest in the life of their child. Abortion is more monstrous than the vicious intruder. That a mother would permit her child to be slaughtered by scalpels, suction, burned alive with saline solution in her infant’s nesting place where God ordained nature to be its safest place.

    • “Our anomaly today is the disparity of a mother’s love and a mother’s disinterest in the life of their child. Abortion is more monstrous than the vicious intruder. That a mother would permit her child to be slaughtered by scalpels, suction, burned alive with saline solution in her infant’s nesting place where God ordained nature to be its safest place.”

      The things psychopaths will say. 🙃

    • Hi Father,
      I do not understand the callous attack in your comment. The son I spoke of, Joseph, passed away naturally at 10 months old from the rare genetic disorder he was born with. We cherished every day with him and did everything we could to help him. Joseph’s disorder was so rare that we did not know it was fatal until a week before he passed. Words cannot describe the trauma and heartbreak we have gone through. Joseph was a perfect reflection of God’s unconditional love and he taught us how to find joy through suffering. At the time of that rally I was 8 months pregnant with our third child and had no idea if he would have the same genetic disorder (a 25% chance for any of our children) because I would not risk his health or life with invasive testing. My husband and I have always and will always say yes to life and God’s plan for our family, no matter the personal heartbreak and suffering that comes. My message at that rally and always is to testify to God’s love and that all life is valuable, even the terminally ill, and that being a mother to any child that God sends is an honour. Shame on you for your unkindness. I will keep you in my prayers.

      • Sometimes comments can be hastily stated, or misread, or both.

        Fr. Morello is honoring you. Yours truly reads his meaning as surely that “Nothing like a mother’s love is seen [more clearly than] in Brittany Garisto’s eyes speaking of her loss. A mother’s love is seen throughout nature.”

        • A mother’s nature is seen in nature. Instinctive animal behavior is natural to animals and is very different from ‘love.’ ‘Love’ is God’s gift to rational humans. Human love is open to elevation by supernatural aspects; the animal nature is simply not capable of ‘love.’ Humans are free to reject ‘natural motherly’ instinctive behavior. Animals are not free to reject or deny their nature. Instinct is not love.

        • A mother’s nature is seen in nature. Instinctive animal behavior is natural to animals and is very different from ‘love.’ ‘Love’ is God’s gift to rational humans. Human love is open to elevation by supernatural aspects; the animal nature is simply not capable of ‘love.’ Humans are free to reject ‘natural motherly’ instinctive behavior. Animals are not free to reject or deny their nature.

      • Hi Brittany,
        It is easy to read and understand words as they are written. Often these days our words are unkind and uncharitable. I too have taken umbrage at some of Father Morello’s words. I stopped reading most of his posts, even those sent directly to me. I empathize with you.

        I too have a child with a serious genetic defect. Although my child is alive, the defect will lead us to succumb sooner or later. God bless you. Please know that you are loved and many others grieve with you.

        • God bless you & your child meiron. I’m so sorry to hear about that.
          One of my children inherited a couple disorders, one of which is usually life limiting. Thankfully in their case, one disorder mostly cancels out the effects of the other one but it could easily have played out differently.
          We just never know what others are going through & need to take more time to be charitable & count our blessings.

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