With abortions rising, we are all called to be ‘islands of mercy’

by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

The “Twilight Zone” reruns can be found on late night cable stations. For its time, “The Twilight Zone” was considered state-of-the-art science fiction. I remember an entire episode that was filmed in a hospital room. The doctors and nurses all wore surgical masks to protect the patient from infection.

As the show unfolded, it became clear that the patient, whose face was completely bandaged, had been through a series of plastic surgeries attempting to correct a severe disfigurement.

The lead doctor informed the beleaguered patient that only one more surgery could be attempted. However, the doctor was hopeful this time they would succeed. Most of the episode builds up to this last-chance surgery. In the closing scene, the final surgery had been completed some days ago. Now is the moment of truth. The nurses remove the bandages uncovering the patient’s face. The woman is stunningly beautiful.

However, the doctors and nurses shake their heads in disbelief and dismay. They apologize profusely to the patient for their failure as they remove their own surgical masks revealing their grotesque and hideous faces. The closing music comes on as you begin to realize that in the “twilight zone,” beautiful is ugly, and the hideous is considered gorgeous.

In 2024, we are living in a culture that is in a moral twilight zone where evil is revered as good, and what is noble is considered disgraceful. In this ethically topsy-turvy twilight zone, abortion — described by early feminists Susan B. Anthony and  Alice Paul as the ultimate exploitation of women — is now hailed as the cornerstone of women’s rights.

Abortion is euphemistically referred to as “reproductive health care.” How can anyone take seriously the label “reproductive health care,” when it results in one patient (the child) dead and the other (the mother) emotionally, psychologically, spiritually and often physically scarred?

Margaret Sanger, the foundress of Planned Parenthood and a racist who embraced eugenics and the idea that an answer to eliminating poverty was to kill poor children, is still heralded by many pro-abortion advocates as a heroine and visionary.

On the other hand, the late Dr. Jerome Lejeune, who identified the chromosomal abnormality causing Down syndrome and spent his life caring for these special children and their families, is reviled by some because he opposed using his discovery to abort the very children he sought to serve.

A couple of years ago, the country of Iceland claimed to have eliminated Down syndrome when, in reality, they had aborted almost all of these innocent children. This is a stark example of what Pope St. John Paul II meant by a “culture of death.”

How pitiful a culture where a Planned Parenthood van parks outside a national political convention, offering women to kill for free their unborn children and men no-cost sterilization by vasectomy.

The abortion industry makes hundreds of millions of dollars annually by preying on the fears of pregnant women and killing innocent children. No wonder this grisly industry is willing to kill a few children for free with the hope of electing politicians who will provide tax dollars for their gruesome, so-called services.

In a democratic society, we get the leaders we deserve. It is a sad reflection of societal values when extremism in support of the abortion industry is considered a political advantage.            

In contrast, pregnancy resource centers surround an expectant mother with a community of love and provide free care. The staff and volunteers of pregnancy resource centers are cultural heroines and heroes. They truly care about pregnant women and are prepared to accompany a mother and her child for a couple years or more. The goal of our pregnancy resource centers is to help both mother and a child thrive.

One of the greatest disappointments of my time as archbishop was the defeat of the “Value Them Both” amendment. The abortion industry spent millions of dollars deceiving Kansans about the amendment. They were able to do this because of a complicit secular media that did not fact-check but instead echoed the deceptions of the abortion industry.

What was the impact of the defeat of “Value Them Both”? Abortions in Kansas have skyrocketed from less than 7,000 annually to an estimated more than 20,000 this year. As predicted, Kansas has become an abortion destination state.

In the abortion industry’s anti-“Value Them Both” propaganda, Kansans were led to believe that the current legal protections for pregnant moms and their children would remain in place. Instead, the Kansas Supreme Court declared basic abortion clinic licensing and inspection laws to be unconstitutional. The abortion industry has also filed a lawsuit against the Kansas Woman’s Right to Know Act that provides informed consent for women, the provision of abortion risk information, the right to see an ultrasound and abortion pill reversal protocols.

With the failure of government to fulfill its basic responsibility to protect women and children, the church has increased our support for: 1) pregnancy resource centers; 2) the Gabriel Project, providing mentors for pregnant women; 3) Project Rachel, providing postabortion healing and reconciliation;4) Catholic Charities adoption ministry; and 5) foster care.

In addition, the church has launched Walking with Moms in Need, mobilizing parishes to help local pregnancy resource centers with financial aid and volunteer support.

The church has also: 1) increased our support for sidewalk counseling efforts outside of abortion clinics; 2) launched Embrace Grace — a parish-based support group for pregnant women; 3) increased youth education through the Culture Project; and 4) given additional support for maternity homes.

Pope Francis has called for our parishes to be “islands of mercy in a sea of indifference.” We can all do something. We must always begin with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help us discern how we can best help build a culture of life.

Consider generously supporting financially a local pregnancy resource center, as well as possibly volunteering your time and talent. Perhaps Our Lord is calling you to make a sacrificial gift to our archdiocesan special Respect Life Fund that supports all of the church’s many pro-life initiatives. Perhaps you are being called to become part of the Walking with Moms in Need ministry in your parish.

A society that celebrates the killing of its own children cannot survive for long. Cultures can be changed one person, one decision at a time. We must not just accept the status quo of this moral twilight zone. Our society has come to believe that legalized abortion is necessary to allow for a sexual freedom that, in reality, enslaves us.   

Together, we can break free from this moral twilight zone that perceives evil as good and virtue as impossible. We can build a culture of life, where every life is cherished, respected and loved.