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Arrested at Notre Dame
Arrested at Notre Dame
| At Notre Dame University May 8th, 2009 |
Notre Dame, Our Mother Notre Dame, our Mother Tender, strong and true Proudly in the heavens, Gleams thy gold and blue. Glory's mantle cloaks thee Golden is thy fame, And our hearts forever, Praise thee, Notre Dame. And our hearts forever, Love thee, Notre Dame. |
John Paul II - from the Chair of St. Peter -
declared these words:
The moral gravity of procured abortion is apparent in all its truth if
we recognize that we are dealing with murder... Evangelium
Vitae, 58
Laws which authorize and promote abortion and euthanasia are
therefore radically opposed not only to the good of the individual
but also to the common good; as such they are completely
lacking in authentic juridical validity. Disregard for the right to life,
precisely because it leads to the killing of the person whom
society exists to serve, is what most directly conflicts with the
possibility of achieving the common good. Consequently, a civil
law authorizing abortion or euthanasia ceases by that very fact to
be a true, morally binding civil law. 72
Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can
claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey
such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to
oppose them by conscientious objection. From the very
beginnings of the Church, the apostolic preaching reminded
Christians of their duty to obey legitimately constituted public
authorities (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14), but at the same time it
firmly warned that "we must obey God rather than men"(Acts
5:29)...73
...It is precisely from obedience to God - to whom alone is due
that fear which is acknowledgment of his absolute sovereignty -
that the strength and the courage to resist unjust human laws are
born. It is the strength and the courage of those prepared even
to be imprisoned or put to the sword, in the certainty that this is
what makes for "the endurance and faith of the saints". (Rev
13:10). 73
In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting
abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to
"take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law, or
vote for it". 98 73
The passing of unjust laws often raises difficult problems of
conscience for morally upright people with regard to the issue of
cooperation, since they have a right to demand not to be forced
to take part in morally evil actions. 74
John Paul II's words could hardly be more forceful. And perhaps
the most compelling declaration of our late Holy Father
concerning our duty to refuse to cooperate with the murder of the
innocent is this:
Christians, like all people of good will, are called upon under
grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in
practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary
to God's law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to
cooperate formally in evil. Such cooperation occurs when an
action, either by its very nature or by the form it takes in a
concrete situation, can be defined as a direct participation in an
act against innocent human life or a sharing in the immoral
intention of the person committing it. This cooperation can never
be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others
or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it.
Evangelium Vitae, 74
Moral Theology and Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience is morally acceptable to the church if a civil
law is contrary to God's higher law and no other remedies are
available.
In fact, the early martyrs in Rome were doing this very thing -
exercising their conscience against the state. The Church
was active in the civil rights struggle in the early 60s, and also
upheld the validity of Operation Rescue.
Furthermore, countless instances of Catholics (even the
Pope and Priests) rescuing Jews from the Nazis in the 1940s
are also examples of this civil disobedience & Biblical and
Christian obedience.
When someone is compelled to violate their Catholic,
Christian conscience, they must disobey civil authorities.
We were asked to stop the Rosary we were reciting,
stop our witness to the horrors of abortion, and leave
a Catholic campus. We could not abide by this request.
For reference, see the new Catechism, #1778-1796 and
#2311 (on conscience).
declared these words:
The moral gravity of procured abortion is apparent in all its truth if
we recognize that we are dealing with murder... Evangelium
Vitae, 58
Laws which authorize and promote abortion and euthanasia are
therefore radically opposed not only to the good of the individual
but also to the common good; as such they are completely
lacking in authentic juridical validity. Disregard for the right to life,
precisely because it leads to the killing of the person whom
society exists to serve, is what most directly conflicts with the
possibility of achieving the common good. Consequently, a civil
law authorizing abortion or euthanasia ceases by that very fact to
be a true, morally binding civil law. 72
Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can
claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey
such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to
oppose them by conscientious objection. From the very
beginnings of the Church, the apostolic preaching reminded
Christians of their duty to obey legitimately constituted public
authorities (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14), but at the same time it
firmly warned that "we must obey God rather than men"(Acts
5:29)...73
...It is precisely from obedience to God - to whom alone is due
that fear which is acknowledgment of his absolute sovereignty -
that the strength and the courage to resist unjust human laws are
born. It is the strength and the courage of those prepared even
to be imprisoned or put to the sword, in the certainty that this is
what makes for "the endurance and faith of the saints". (Rev
13:10). 73
In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting
abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to
"take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law, or
vote for it". 98 73
The passing of unjust laws often raises difficult problems of
conscience for morally upright people with regard to the issue of
cooperation, since they have a right to demand not to be forced
to take part in morally evil actions. 74
John Paul II's words could hardly be more forceful. And perhaps
the most compelling declaration of our late Holy Father
concerning our duty to refuse to cooperate with the murder of the
innocent is this:
Christians, like all people of good will, are called upon under
grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in
practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary
to God's law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to
cooperate formally in evil. Such cooperation occurs when an
action, either by its very nature or by the form it takes in a
concrete situation, can be defined as a direct participation in an
act against innocent human life or a sharing in the immoral
intention of the person committing it. This cooperation can never
be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others
or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it.
Evangelium Vitae, 74
Moral Theology and Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience is morally acceptable to the church if a civil
law is contrary to God's higher law and no other remedies are
available.
In fact, the early martyrs in Rome were doing this very thing -
exercising their conscience against the state. The Church
was active in the civil rights struggle in the early 60s, and also
upheld the validity of Operation Rescue.
Furthermore, countless instances of Catholics (even the
Pope and Priests) rescuing Jews from the Nazis in the 1940s
are also examples of this civil disobedience & Biblical and
Christian obedience.
When someone is compelled to violate their Catholic,
Christian conscience, they must disobey civil authorities.
We were asked to stop the Rosary we were reciting,
stop our witness to the horrors of abortion, and leave
a Catholic campus. We could not abide by this request.
For reference, see the new Catechism, #1778-1796 and
#2311 (on conscience).