Another brave and true Catholic Archbishop has spoken out against the evil of abortion. Timothy Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has written a letter to Catholics within the U.S. military urging them to witness to the Gospel by advocating for the protection of the unborn and “to refuse any participation in the evil of abortion.”
The archbishop’s April 28 letter comes after the U.S. Senate’s recent 51-48 vote in favour of adding abortion coverage to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) health benefits packages.
Addressing Catholic members of the armed forces, the archbishop rooted the Christian defence of the sanctity of life in the profession of faith in the Incarnation. Broglio wrote, “God assumed the fullness of our humanity in order to offer us salvation. Authentic proclamation of the Gospel, therefore, demands the protection of all human life, for in this way, we profess that the very life of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, which began in the womb, and ended on the cross, encompasses our lives as well.”
“To deny the life of a baby in utero is to deny the Incarnation, and thus, the very source of our hope for salvation,” the bishop declared.
Broglio also reminded Catholics of the witness of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, who both manifest the sanctity of life in the womb. Broglio wrote, “Our Lord chose to offer salvation to the world by becoming enfleshed in the womb of His mother, our Blessed Mother. Mary’s witness of carrying God incarnate communicates that human life is a gift to be praised, shared, and celebrated joyfully (see Lk 1:39).”
“In the genius of the divine detail, preserved through the writing of Saint Luke, God reminds us that even the preborn know Him. John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb at the arrival of our Lord. Blessed, indeed, was the fruit of Mary’s womb (Lk 1:41-42). Jesus’ incarnation reaffirms that human life truly is created in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:26). Each human person is a treasure, uniquely formed and known by God (see Ps 139:14-16). Each life deserves to be protected and loved, at every stage, from conception to natural death.”
Taking Congress to task for its failure to uphold the sanctity of life in its recent vote, which will place Catholic members of the military in situations in which they will be called on to violate their conscience through participation in abortion, Broglio wrote, “I write today deeply saddened that last week, in a 51-48 vote, the Senate let stand the Administration’s new Department of Veterans Affairs’ rule that provides for abortion at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers in certain circumstances. In parallel, the Administration is also implementing a Department of Defense policy which mandates federal funding for abortion travel and compels military commanders to authorize such undertakings.”
The archbishop firmly condemned the Biden administration’s mandate as “morally repugnant,” contrary to the Gospel, and running afoul of the protections afforded by the First Amendment. In no uncertain terms he declared, “The policy and rule, now in effect, are morally repugnant and incongruent with the Gospel which the faithful are commissioned to share throughout the world (Mt 28:19). Moreover, the new DOD policy and VA rule fail to incorporate basic conscience protections, thus creating First Amendment pitfalls for military commanders and VA employees.”
“With this letter, I implore the faithful of this Archdiocese to continue to advocate for human life and to refuse any participation in the evil of abortion,” he urged, adding, “As Pope Francis instructs, our defense of the innocent unborn must be ‘clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development.’ He has referred to the crime of abortion as hiring a hitman.”
The archbishop concluded by reminding Catholics “of our Christian duty to exercise radical solidarity with mothers and families experiencing a challenging pregnancy.”