The Forgotten Victim

Fr. Frank Pavone

Abortion destroys everyone it touches, killing a child and devastating that child's family. Often overlooked, however, is the one who performed the procedure. The abortionist is wounded, too.

Every year, on the 10th of March, pro-abortion groups observe the "National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers." They seek to affirm those who kill babies for pay, and honor them as hero-servants of society.

I am happy to announce that this year, Priests for Life has declared March 9 a National Day of Invitation to Abortion Providers — an invitation to repentance and to the healing grace of the Lord. We invite people to read the testimonies of abortionists who have converted and to write letters and make calls to media outlets in order to share these stories. It is precisely because we appreciate these people that we want to free them from the misery of being an abortionist.

I'd like to explore in the next several columns the topic of abortionists, why they do what they do, what life is like for them, and how we can call them to conversion.

Let me address some preliminary questions. First of all, the abortion movement chose March 10 for this "Day of Appreciation" because that was the date in 1993 when abortionist David Gunn was shot and killed outside his abortion mill in Pensacola, Florida. Killing abortionists is a course of action we reject.

Secondly, some object to using the word "abortionist," saying such a term is harsh and cruel. That's odd. Someone who practices psychology is called a "psychologist." Someone who practices therapy is called a "therapist." And one trained in gynecology is a "gynecologist." I fail to see the problem with calling someone who performs abortions an "abortionist." If people are uncomfortable with the word, maybe their conscience is telling them there's something wrong with the practice — and with that, we heartily agree.

Third, if we call an abortionist a "victim," we do not mean to say that he/she is helpless or guiltless. We are all responsible for our actions and have to be held accountable. The point here is that abortionists hurt themselves by their actions, throwing their lives into chaos.

Finally, I write about abortionists from the perspective of having conversed with many of them who are still performing abortions, and having guided many of them through spiritual healing after they have stopped performing abortions. We collaborate and interact with psychiatrists and others who are doing unique research into the lives of abortionists. Moreover, Priests for Life has access to a lot of inside information from the abortion industry, including information gained by infiltration. We rely on original and often unique sources.

The more we can understand why someone, especially if he or she is associated with the medical profession, would perform abortions, and the more we can understand what would cause them to stop performing abortions, the closer we will be to understanding how our whole society can reject this violent practice.

• Fr. Pavone is the Founding Director of Priests for Life. You may contact Priests for Life at PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314; Tel: 888-PFL-3448 or 718-980-4400; Fax: 718-980-6515; Email: mail@priestsforlife.org ; Website: www.priestsforlife.org.
  

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