PASTORAL LETTER

PASTORAL LETTER

Mothers’ Day 2000

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Of all the wondrous gifts that God has given His creation, few are more precious than motherhood. In an intimate union of joy and pain, mothers share in the most of God’s powerful acts, the conception and birth of life. Mothers become, as Pope John Paul wrote, “God’s own smile of His new creation.” Today we celebrate Mother’s Day, a civil observance, not a religious one, but for us who have faith, it is surely a day of prayerful thanksgiving to God for our mothers. Thus let me join with you in asking God’s blessing on all mothers everywhere, especially here in our Diocese! May they continue to see abundant signs of God’s love in their motherhood.
However, I suggest that today is also a time of reflection on a deeper meaning that a mother conveys to the world. I refer to the unconditional importance of the child she conceives, the utter sacredness of every mother’s child.

It is with a certain sadness that I address you today. On a day that should be exceptional with joy and gratitude, I feel compelled to speak about a most serious violation against the very essence of God’s great gift of motherhood. I speak of the grave evil of abortion.

The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church on abortion is manifestly clear. From the very first moment of an embryo’s existence, there is life. From the very first mot existence, that human life has all the rights of a person, among which is the inviolable right of every innocent person to life. Therefore any direct abortion is the killing of human life and is gravely contrary to moral law. This principle is so unmistakable and absolute that it causes me great amazement when I hear that a Catholic does not understand the Church’s teaching on abortion. Let it be clear, then: all direct abortion is wrong! Because the Church desires to make clear the gravity of abortion and the irreparable harm done to an innocent life put to death, it attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. Anyone who procures an abortion automatically incurs an excommunication from the Church. Moreover, the Church declares that any kind of cooperation in an abortion is a grave offense. This includes not just direct involvement in the act of aborting fetus, but any encouragement, advice and assistance offered to one who is considering an abortion.

The Church’s moral teaching about abortion goes even further than mere individual responsibility. The Church teaches that the right of every innocent human being to life must be recognized and respected by civil and political authority. The right to life is inalienable. This means that a human being has the right to life just because the person is a human being. No one, no government gave the person that right. God did, at the moment of conception. In fact, the very purpose of any government is to protect the lives of all its citizens, from conception to death.

Twenty four years ago, the Constitution of our Commonwealth was ratified a subsequent constitutional amendment was added, which states, “The abortion of an unborn child during the mother’s pregnancy is prohibited in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marinas, except as provided by law. Morally and legally, it is a bold statement.
The framers of that article were not naive about the possible legal consequences, nor am I. If one day that amendment or other anti-abortion legislation is challenged in courts, it may well be judged ineffectual because of the well-known interpretations of the United States Constitution. To that I say, then let it be so judged.
The people of our islands, have written, ratified and proclaimed what we believe about life. Four years ago, in response to certain proposed amendments which would change the anti-abortion stance of our Constitution, I wrote a letter to you. I can only reiterate my message: Let the experts in jurisprudence choose what is legally right. Let us choose what is morally right.

My brothers and sisters, the words I have spoken are, from every aspect serious ones. It is not from any desire to frighten or scold that I communicate this message. However, it has come to my attention that abortions are being performed in the Commonwealth. There are those, too, who suggest that they are already legal. I have concluded that now is the time for us to proclaim our faith’s teachings and to examine our personal faith in Christ and His Church, I say now to you, my brother and sister in Catholics, we must publicly profess what we believe in our hearts. No one in this free society will jail, threaten or maim us because of our faith. But the challenges to faith are there and as real. As long as there is the offense abortion in our midst, the Church will speak and fulfill its solemn duty to teach the faith that comes to us from he apostles.

Finally, the Church is mother as well as teacher. I speak as your pastor and mother in Christ: to those who disagree with our beliefs, let us discourage with respect and charity: to those who are confused, let us seek to clarify: to those who have been involved with abortions, come back to the only source of love and forgiveness,
Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ , who came to give us life to the full.

Let us seek the help of the Mother of God, and our mother, asking her intercession for all the peoples of this Commonwealth.

Sincerely in Christ Jesus,

Tomas A. Camacho

Bishop of Chalan Kanoa (CNMI)