What motivation should I have, then? We have to go for the motivation of the Gospels, the motivation of perfection, the motivation of total self-sacrifice, the motivation of Jesus. He gave us the right motivation when He told us to love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves. He assured us this would mean sacrifice. The disciple would not be different from the Master. The maximum love would be that be of the one who gave his life for his friend. He held up now famous examples of well motivated and practical love, such as that of the good Samaritan, and finally gave us his own heroic example on Calvary.
When we go to the abortuary therefore we go as Christians expressing our love of our unborn neighbour, fallen among robbers bent on robbing him or her of the gift of life. I try to protect that life, the life of the body, and I try to ensure that the baby can one day get the supernatural life of grace through the waters of baptism.
If I love the baby I do not stand aside, and do not give in to specious arguments. For example, I do not attempt to argue that the baby "is bound" to get to Heaven anyway. We do not yet know enough for certain about the salvation of those who die unborn, unbaptised. Even if we did it would still not be love to stand back and let someone have his head hacked off. I would be grateful to the one who loved me enough to save me in that crisis. And neglect of the baby on such grounds would speedily develop into all sorts of specious executions justified on the grounds of the executioner's assessment of the spiritual state of his victim. No, we categorically reject all such bloodthirsty nonsense. God has given this baby the gift of life. God must decree when, where, in what circumstances, the gift shall be revoked. The baby is called to develop this precious gift, and show its Maker one day how it has used its talents. I am called to love that baby here and hereafter, helping it as best I can here to nurture the multitude of gifts of which life is the first and necessary condition.
On this basis I should now be properly motivated in attempting to rescue the unborn infant. What about the infant's aggressors? What's my attitude to them? Maybe I haven't thought of them too much. But of course, I have to love them as well, and in fact attempt to rescue them from their terrible sins.
How do I do that? I believe that I can console myself that the very act of getting in between the baby and the aggressor at an abortuary is a powerful implicit call for the killer to repent. Sometimes I get and should take an opportunity to say more in the tone and spirit of an apostle.
Which is the more important - trying to save the baby's life, or trying to save the abortionist's soul? The question is not too well put - the baby has a soul too, and has not yet been baptised. But the real answer is that we must love both as ourselves, and express our love by doing for each what each most needs. The baby needs its life, and the abortionist needs the Gospel. I do what I can to provide both.
This reply helps us to deal with the problem of civil powers who in their arrogance presume to legislate in favour of abortion. Such laws, especially here in Britain, are often so badly worded that they actually fail to provide the intended legal structure. But the bottom line is that all authority is from God and Governments do not have the authority to abrogate God's law, the supreme law of charity. When a Government says that I may not love my unborn neighbour as myself I ignore it and continue to love just the same.
Many other neighbours are in need - should I be giving the lion's share of my time to the unborn? Of course I would like to help all but there are physical limits to my capacity. Even Mary and Joseph could only save Jesus from Herod. I go to the rescue of those in greatest need, nearest to me, most bereft of protection, and with most to lose. I had much more to lose when an unborn child than I have now. I am 56, a Catholic priest for 33 years, have lived my life, and should be able to depart cheerfully.
Some of our neighbours die undetected. Tiny little ones go because their mother uses chemicals or a device to prevent implantation in the womb. But they too are part of the great human family. Pro-life rescuers will have to address themselves to the plight of these little ones too, at least by asking hard questions in pharmacist's shops.
And of course pro-lifers will avoid all such horrors, and all the horrors of contraceptive poison, themselves.
In short, pro-lifers will live, read, love the Gospel, seek all the light and strength the Good News offers, and avail themselves of all the gifts of Mass, Sacraments, Communion of Saints, to sustain themselves in their labours.
Mary, Mother of the Divine Redeemer, who rescued Jesus in Bethlehem, and rescued with Him on Calvary, pray for us.
Rev. James Morrow, Humanae Vitae House, Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB35 5YT.
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