Anti-War, Anti-Death Penalty, and Anti-Abortion

[Note: The following letter by Fr. Frank Pavone was printed in the July 19, 2002 issue of the National Catholic Reporter.]

Dear Editor,

Thank you for your article on Stanley Hauerwas (June 21 issue). As the headline pointed out, he is "antiwar, anti-death penalty, and anti-abortion." The emphasis was on the "and" … and it is an emphasis that is well-deserved. Too often our Church suffers from a gap between the anti-war, anti-death penalty stand and the anti-abortion stand.

If the stands we take are motivated by political platforms, the gaps are understandable.

If, however, the stands we take are motivated by the Gospel, the gaps are unintelligible. At the center of the Christian way of life is the dignity of the human person, and that dignity knows no boundary at the womb any more than it does at the prison or the battlefield.

Sincerely,

Fr. Frank Pavone

Founding Director, Priests for Life