CV NEWS FEED // The Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh released a letter expressing his views on the pro-life movement and sharing why he personally is pro-life.
Most Reverend William Waltersheid, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, released a pastoral letter on Wednesday, January 24, expressing his pro-life views and sharing with his flock why he is pro-life.
To begin his letter, Waltersheid shared that the foundation of his pro-life views comes from the fact that he is pro-child.
“I am pro-life because I am pro-child. Whatever words a person uses to describe abortion—women’s health care, reproductive health care, termination of a pregnancy—the truth is that abortion is the killing of a human being, a child at that. The most vulnerable person of all is a child in the womb who cannot speak up and ask for help or defense. Because the unborn child is tiny and weak, he or she cannot fight off the one who is seeking to end his or her life. However, the child, not yet born, is absolutely a son or daughter created in the image and likeness of God,” wrote Waltersheid.
He then drove into addressing a variety of common pro-abortion arguments, such as that abortion works with science or that being pro-life is being anti-woman.
“I am Pro-Life because I am Pro-Science. Scientific research has provided ample evidence that the unborn child is a separate person from the moment of conception. Each child is a distinctively different and separate human person from the mother who carries this tiny person in her womb,” wrote Waltersheid.
In this section, he addressed a variety of scientific proofs that show how the pro-life cause is pro-science. This included exploring each child’s unique DNA set and the miracle of conception.
“The conception of a child in a mother’s womb begins a process that culminates in its leaving the mother’s body to live its own life. No organ or part of a woman’s body can do this. The tiny human being in a mother’s womb may not be killed at the whim or decision of another. The vastly improved quality and accuracy of ultrasounds of unborn children show that there is no doubt that these are human persons who have inherent dignity, worth, and the right to live,” said Waltersheid.
In addition, he shared that being pro-life is pro-woman; it is pro-justice and pro-mercy.
“There is a lie propagated today claiming that abortion is health care for women and that abortion is the answer to the challenge of a pregnancy in the difficult situations in a woman’s life. The absolute opposite is the truth. Abortion does not provide a cure or health care for women. Rather, abortion degrades women, treating their fertility as a defect or a disease,” said Waltersheid.
To conclude, Waltersheid addressed how abortion destroys the nuclear family and works against the Church’s mission to build up and create the dynamic church.
“Abortion strikes also at the heart of the nuclear family, betraying the fruit of marital love, a child that gives hope and life for the future. Untold damage has been done to the nuclear family as well as the culture by abortion. We must reject abortion because we want our Christian culture and our families to continue making contributions to global peace and well-being,” said Waltersheid.
At the end of his letter, Waltersheid included a variety of resources and suggestions for how people could get involved in the local pro-life movement.
“My dear brothers and sisters, pray and fast for the end of abortion, for unborn children, for the support of expectant mothers, and for the strengthening and revitalization of family life,” said Waltersheid.
