Bp. Galantino opines

Tuesday, 13 May 2014

My open letter to top Italian bishop on pro-life prayerful witness outside abortion clinics

I am deeply troubled by the reported intervention of Bishop Galantino (pictured), the secretary-general of the Italian bishops' conference, who, according to "The Tablet" has said:

“My wish for the Italian Church is that it is able to listen without any taboo to the arguments in favour of married priests, the Eucharist for the divorced, and homosexuality ... In the past we have concentrated too much on abortion and euthanasia. It mustn’t be this way because in the middle there’s real life which is constantly changing ... I don’t identify with the expressionless person who stands outside the abortion clinic reciting their rosary, but with young people, who are still against this practice, but are instead fighting for quality of life, their health, their right to work.”

I am writing to Bishop Galantino today as follows:

Your Excellency,

I have read your reported comments, quoted today by The Tablet, saying, amongst other things, that you "don't identify with the expressionless person who stands outside the abortion clinic reciting their rosary".

I do hope you have been misreported. Please let me know if that's the case.

I thought I would let you know that I do identify with the person outside the abortion clinic praying their rosary, whether or not the person is expressionless.

Just 30 minutes ago I received the following message from a wonderful group in England which organizes, at great personal sacrifice, people to stand outside an abortion clinic in Twickenham, west London. The message said: "Pray hard for "Lucia", 20 weeks pregnant. Her abortion is booked for next week in Twickenham."

I have prayed for Lucia. I did so before writing to you. Whilst writing, may I ask that you pray for her too and ask others to do so?

In my experience, these prayers work. I am constantly getting messages from the same source, the wonderful group in England,which tell me about young women who, seeing the people outside the abortion clinics praying, change their minds and keep their baby.

If I may, I will send you a full report on the work of this group.

Also, may I ask you a question in relation to what you reportedly say: "In the past we have concentrated too much on abortion and euthanasia"? (Again, I hope you have been misreported. Please let me know if that is the case.)

It's probably fair to say that tens of thousands of unborn children, each one made in the image and likeness of God, are killed every day throughout the world. For example, there are 500 killed daily in Britain, thousands in the US, thousands upon thousands in China, to name just three of the world's 193 countries.

Your Excellency, if it were Catholic priests or Jews who were being killed, or threatened with being killed, by national laws in Britain or in other parts of the world – would we expect, any day of the week, ever to enter a Catholic Church for Mass without the matter being mentioned, or being prayed about at that Mass? Would we not be denouncing, and rightly denouncing, the killing of Catholic priests or Jews, in every pulpit in the world – notwithstanding the past sins and scandals associated with members of the Catholic Church? The Jew, the priest, the unborn child are all created in the image and likeness of God.

I really don't think you would be saying, if national laws had allowed the killing of Catholic priests or Jews over the past few decades: "In the past we have concentrated too much on the killing of Catholic priests or Jews...". Indeed, you would probably be saying: "We can never do enough to denounce this grotesque evil".

Your Excellency, please reconsider your reported position.

May I come to meet you, in the company of one of my colleagues who has had an abortion, and discuss the whole matter with you?

Assuring you of my prayers.

God bless

John Smeaton
Chief Executive

You may wish to write a letter to the bishop yourself. My understanding is that one must write to him through his diocese, the diocese of Cassano all’Jonio.

Bishop Galantino is parroting Pope Francis.

I used to hear comments from the wives married to vicars and other men of the cloth.
Those women said that it would be better if priests and vicars never married because it was impossible for any one man to pay proper attention to his wife and family AND his church members. Those good men are spread just too thin.

Those women said that it would be better if priests and vicars never married because it was impossible for any one man to pay proper attention to his wife and family AND his church members.

Indeed. The priest is the spiritual father of his entire parish. Which of his two families would take precedence if, for instance, his wife or one of his kids had a medical emergency just as Mass was scheduled to begin, or as he was being summoned for last rites, or was scheduled to perform a wedding ceremony? Which of his families would be subordinated to the other? How is it spiritually and physically possible to live two separate vocations simultaneously (let alone unreservedly, as we are called to do by God)?

Yes, indeed. His wife would have to get used to "doing it all" sometimes, wouldn't she?

Russian Orthodox priests and wives/families, who married before priesthood, have this conundrum as well.

Those women said that it would be better if priests and vicars never married because it was impossible for any one man to pay proper attention to his wife and family AND his church members. Those good men are spread just too thin.

Pastors of some larger Protestant churches may be able to do it, because there are so many involved in the administration of the church. Parish priests don't have that kind of support staff, because parishes simply can't afford it. They would never have the mental or physical stamina to care for a large parish family in addition to one of their own.

What I wrote was comments from the wives of vicars and ministers, Protestants. It was a general comment from them.

Parish priests from Catholic parishes ALSO have help, support staff and such. Many are volunteers but there is always a staff for the priests.

No one man has the "stamina" and parish priests aren't alone. How much help he or they get depends, of course, on how many Catholics are in his/their parish, doesn't it?

I volunteer at my own parish. There seems to always be a "staff of middle aged ladies" who help in parishes. Well, in the ones I've seen, at least.

Also, parishes connected with schools always have "mother" help. That is on-going and it is expected of the parents of those children.