I wish to offer my deep appreciation and thanks to Gov. Mike DeWine, members of the Ohio state legislature and all who worked so hard to bring about the passing of legislation to prevent the abortion of a baby once a heartbeat is detected. The passage of the “heartbeat bill” represents a major step forward in efforts to protect the sanctity of life.
Pope Francis reminds us that all life has inestimable value -- even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor – are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.
Always remembering that God is the creator and we are not, I encourage everyone to pray that the world grows in its respect for life, from conception to natural death, and to build awareness to reaffirm the Gospel teaching about the gift of life.
We have a lot of praying to do. Never underestimate the power of prayer. As the Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities from the U.S. Catholic Bishops reminds us, “Only with prayer -- prayer that storms the heavens for justice and mercy, prayer that cleanses our hearts and souls -- will the culture of death that surrounds us today be replaced with a culture of life."
