The Holy Innocents, Sarah Weddington, Roe v. Wade and the Church's defense of Life
Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Smack in the middle of the Octave of Christmas (eight straight days of celebrating the great mystery of the Word made flesh and born of the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary), we come to the horrifying Gospel passage where St. Matthew (2:13-18) recounts that Herod -- in his fearful rage that another king might take his place -- has all of the infant and toddler boys of Bethlehem slaughtered. It is a powerful reminder that we need a Savior and Christ was born into a world of cruelty and sin, from which He came to save us. (There's a beautiful homily by St. Quodvultdeus at the end of this entry from the Church's breviary prayer book).
In her traditional art, the Church doesn't shy away from depicting the cruelty and even brutality of this scene -- because she faces evil square on. If you internet search "Feast of the Holy Innocents," you will find some haunting images. But here I've chosen a different art work. The artist takes some liberties to make a point: Instructed by God's angel, St. Joseph courageously and obediently leads the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ Child to safety in Egypt. Around them are the souls of the innocent baby boys -- the "flower of the future martyrs" dancing around them. They could not speak the praise of God with their voices, but they can sing with the angels in Heaven. Their very innocence praises God even if their lives were cut short so they could not do so in the ordinary way.
Just as modern Christians shy away from viewing some of the more graphic artwork of Herod's evil act, many Catholics today are afraid to look at the evil of the killing of innocent children in the womb directly, preferring to keep it hidden and ignore it as if it were just one "issue" among other. That is what the forces of evil want us to do: whether it be politicians and political parties promoting it (even some who profess to be Catholic and Christian) or agencies who profit from the killing, such as Planned Parenthood, who hide their girly sin behind euphemisms and lies.
We cannot flinch as disciples of Jesus from this reality and are called to bring light and truth to expose those who promote it.
Ironically, on the eve of this feast of the Holy Innocents, LifeSite News reports that Sarah Weddington, the feminist and pro-abortion lawyer who (successfully) argued the Roe v. Wade 1973 Supreme Court case has died. She was of course instrumental in creating a culture where the great cruelty of a King Herod and the disregard for the sacredness of life would be woven into our culture. We certainly pray that that she repented at the end of her life before she met the Lord as her just and merciful judge, because that is possible up until the moment of death.
On a personal note, in my pro-life work over the years, I have met both Sarah Weddington and Norma McCorvey (the "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade). I was living in New Orleans when Ms. Weddington was speaking to a group of mostly pro-abortion students at Loyola University there. (Yes, Loyola is a [nominally] Catholic school!) In the open Q&A session, I did calmly ask her the question whether she regretted that the decision she argued led to the loss of millions of lives. She seemed highly irritated by the question, if not outright enraged, and I could see in her eyes that, unfortunately, there was little chance of her conversion, because she had hardened her heart. (Conversion is never impossible, as I mentioned, so we should not give up on prayer. But people have to open their hearts to it).
On the flip side of someone who did open her heart to conversion was Ms. McCorvey. I met her at a conference for seminarians years ago when I was still one. She was a troubled soul and sometimes confused by the trauma of her life, but she became Catholic and worked for the pro-life cause for many years before the end of her life because she listened to the voice of Christ. Years back, she wrote a book entitled Won by Love which tells her story. It is still in print and I highly recommend it.
As the Supreme Court reexamines the Roe v. Wade decision in the new year, please pray that many people will be converted to the Gospel of Life and the defense of life, though the intercession of the Holy Innocents in Heaven.
Finally, for a powerful commentary on the legal questions of Roe v. Wade, check out the National Catholic Register.
