Amarillo, TX – Fr. Frank
Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, issued the following statement
this morning on the passing of Baby Joseph Maraachli, the infant who earlier
this year was flown from Ontario, Canada to St. Louis to receive treatment
previously denied to him, which allowed him to spend his last months at home
with his parents.
“I learned with sadness
tonight of the passing of Baby Joseph, and extend my prayers to his family.
This young boy and his parents fulfilled a special mission from God. Amidst a
Culture of Death where despair leads us to dispose of the vulnerable, they
upheld a Culture of Life where hope leads us to welcome and care for the
vulnerable.
“From my first conversation with Baby Joseph's parents, they expressed to me
their trust in God. They had no demands of Him regarding how long their son
would live. They just wanted to fulfill their calling to love their child
unconditionally and to protect him from those who considered his life
worthless.
“I praise God tonight for the tens of thousands who stood with Priests for Life
and other prolife groups to save Baby Joseph. We remain convinced that the
value of life is not measured in months or years, but rather reflected in the
love we share moment by moment. We all loved Joseph, because God entrusts us to
the care of each other. In that conviction we will continue to counteract the
culture of death and restore protection and equality to all, born and unborn.”
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization
dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit
www.priestsforlife.org.