Christianity’s Survival Depends on the Defense of Life

Statement by Fieles a la Verdad at the March for Life 2017

Let me begin by thanking those present for turning out on a holiday to support the very important prolife cause.

I accept this award on behalf of the writers, researchers, and editors of Fieles a la Verdad, all of whom are volunteers. On behalf of Fieles a la Verdad, I would especially like to express gratitude to Carlos Sánchez for his commitment and perseverence in keeping this March going for 36 years –despite active opposition from the political left and a serious deficit of support from the leadership of some mainstream Christian denominations. I also wish to thank the persons and organizations who have provided valuable research and analysis, particularly Mujeres por PR.

Please permit me to make a few general observations concerning the prolife situation in Puerto Rico.

One cannot help wonder how Perú can turn out 750,000 persons for its March for Life, and Puerto Rico less than one hundred. With serious and unified support from the Churches, it should be possible to turn out 200,000 persons. It is a scandal that this has not happened.

Christianity cannot survive in a country in which protection of human life from the moment of conception to natural death is ignored. As Pope John Paul II remarked,

A nation that kills its own children is a nation without hope.

In Puerto Rico, hope is now in short supply. If emigration were stopped today, the abortion rate of .34 per woman in Puerto Rico guarantees an exponential population decline and consequently economic stagnation and dissolution of the culture.

As many of you are aware, the website Fieles a la Verdad publishes a Guía Electoral, with details about the political candidates and party positions regarding life and family. However, it is much more than a profile voters guide. Apart from abortion and euthanasia, the following are a few prolife issues which are discussed in detail:

• Contraception. Contraception kills directly (on occasion) by preventing implantation of the fertilized egg, and indirectly by encouraging promiscuity leading to abortion. Let us remember that up to 1935, contraception was not permitted by any Christian denomination. Separation of the procreative aspect of sexuality from the unitive has led to the objectification of people, addiction to vice, and to the deterioration of the family and society. Research shows that distribution of condoms has everywhere led to an increase —not a decrease— in the rates of HIV.
• Divorce. Divorce kills by reducing, by 5 years on average, the lifespan of the children affected. According to the great British writer G. K. Chesterton, “trivial marriage leads to trivial divorce.” Despite this, Legislators of all parties in Puerto Rico have voted for easy divorce and to allow even notaries to marry, further trivializing the institution.
• Artificial reproduction. Artificial reproduction kills. In vitro fertilization (FIV in Spanish) requires the freezing and destruction of unused human embryos, and therefore is abortive. The practice of surrogacy, in reality the forced orphanization of children, has resulted in severe physical and psychological damage to those involved. In many countries, this process involves human trafficking and slavery. Surrogate mothers are often forced to abort.

It is unfortunate that sermons on these life and death issues are extremely rare in the churches.

Pastors, priests, and religious educators have a serious moral obligation to instruct their flocks. They must lose their fear of speaking on these issues —for the day is soon coming when they will no longer be permitted to speak of such things. Indeed, one day, an explanation will be demanded of them.

Nor should parents leave the education of children in these matters to their smartphones or to pernicious organizations such as Profamilia which visit the schools and kindergartens of Puerto Rico, providing corrupting indoctrination in radical ideologies such as gender theory. The information provided is often of an extremely graphic nature. Parental rights over our children’s education are under siege. Politicians have an obligation to remain vigilant and prevent such intrusion.

The March for Life is important in drawing attention to all of these issues and we will keep working so that human life is protected from conception to the time of natural death.

May God help us in this endeavor.

Thank you.