PRAY, HOPE AND DON’T WORRY - Padre Pio’s key advice
What’s happening in Parliament tomorrow? Key debates concerning the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill. Monday is on the creation of human/animal hybrids, and ‘Saviour Siblings’, that is the creation of new, eternal members of the human species primarily to be organic donors for sick siblings. Tuesday will focus upon the removal of legal acknowledgement of a child’s inherent right and natural orientation to having a father.
Is it really true cloning will be extended? This Act is repealing an earlier one restricting cloning. In the case where it appears that parents cannot otherwise have a child, a clone may be brought to birth.
Why is all this so bad? The traditional Western vision of Man and civil society, which came out of Catholicism, is opposed the idea that any adult has a “right” to a child. An adult may well want one for all sorts of understandable reasons. What is important is that these reasons do not override openness to the basic, eternal plan of God – that is the primary call to each human to become a child of God through being conceived through the marital act and brought up as a child of a mum and dad.
Doesn’t that mean In Vitro Fertilization is wrong? IVF does override such divine will and human dignity, trying to make ourselves masters of procreation. N.B. As has often been the case since IVF came in, this Bill clearly goes significantly further than permitting IVF.
Do we condemn childless couples to their fate? The Church’s unique interest in research into natural Fertility control over the last 40 years means that Catholic centres such as FertilityCare in Soho Square now claim figures approaching 50% for enabling those classed as ‘infertile’ by the NHS to conceive.
Shouldn’t we fight this Bill very hard? Yes but we should remember that in the face of evil being bitter or pointing the finger only increases the destruction. Let it all be a spur to ourselves (i) to “Mind the Gap” between the Christian vision of love and that represented by our political elite and relativist consensus, by carefully educating ourselves on these issues (e.g. through our PIA group) and (ii) to hope to be more converted ourselves through this. At this veritable low-point of western civilization let us follow Padre Pio’s advice, Pray, hope and don’t worry.
Isn’t this all so complicated? There are two simple facts fundamental to this whole issue:
1. The biological evidence, acknowledged by those experimenting upon human life, is that those living things with a human nucleus are members of the human species.
2. All members of the human species, however small or weak, should be treated as
having an absolute value.
(Communion Q/A’s continue again soon!)
Is it really true cloning will be extended? This Act is repealing an earlier one restricting cloning. In the case where it appears that parents cannot otherwise have a child, a clone may be brought to birth.
Why is all this so bad? The traditional Western vision of Man and civil society, which came out of Catholicism, is opposed the idea that any adult has a “right” to a child. An adult may well want one for all sorts of understandable reasons. What is important is that these reasons do not override openness to the basic, eternal plan of God – that is the primary call to each human to become a child of God through being conceived through the marital act and brought up as a child of a mum and dad.
Doesn’t that mean In Vitro Fertilization is wrong? IVF does override such divine will and human dignity, trying to make ourselves masters of procreation. N.B. As has often been the case since IVF came in, this Bill clearly goes significantly further than permitting IVF.
Do we condemn childless couples to their fate? The Church’s unique interest in research into natural Fertility control over the last 40 years means that Catholic centres such as FertilityCare in Soho Square now claim figures approaching 50% for enabling those classed as ‘infertile’ by the NHS to conceive.
Shouldn’t we fight this Bill very hard? Yes but we should remember that in the face of evil being bitter or pointing the finger only increases the destruction. Let it all be a spur to ourselves (i) to “Mind the Gap” between the Christian vision of love and that represented by our political elite and relativist consensus, by carefully educating ourselves on these issues (e.g. through our PIA group) and (ii) to hope to be more converted ourselves through this. At this veritable low-point of western civilization let us follow Padre Pio’s advice, Pray, hope and don’t worry.
Isn’t this all so complicated? There are two simple facts fundamental to this whole issue:
1. The biological evidence, acknowledged by those experimenting upon human life, is that those living things with a human nucleus are members of the human species.
2. All members of the human species, however small or weak, should be treated as
having an absolute value.
(Communion Q/A’s continue again soon!)
posted by Sinead Reekie at 9:56 am