And since we do – and because you are such a devoted member of the Priests for Life family – I’m counting on you to … … make a special Summer Pledge and help keep Priests for Life fully funded and able to defend our unborn brothers and sisters I cannot overstate or over-emphasize the importance of your Summer Pledge. Right now three forces are converging to form what I fear will be an economic “perfect storm” that threatens to sink all of Priests for Life work. Those forces are: 1. The summer ... when donations to Priests for Life typically decrease. 2. The coronavirus ... which has knocked the country for a loop. 3. The virus-infected economy ... which, until a few months ago the strongest economy in the world, is feeling the effects of all the state lockdowns and business closures. |  |
If that “perfect storm” occurs, it will capsize Priests for Life’s fund raising efforts and cripple our work over these next three months. We’re already seeing that. Gifts to Priests for Life in April were down 17% from what we’d received in the first three months of the year.
Your Summer Pledge dollars will do much to right Priests for Life’s financial ship and help supply us with the steady flow of revenue that will sustain our projects throughout this time of uncertainty, and especially during the financially dry months of June, July and August.
Make no mistake.
Your partnership is critically important right now because, as I told you above, November 3 will be the culmination of a major battle between the forces of life and the powers of darkness in the abortion industry – a battle that will go a long way in determining whether or not we will prevail in our fight to end legalized abortion-on-demand in America.
And while God promises us that “the gates of hell will not prevail against us,” He leaves it to us to take the fight to His enemies. Since Priests for Life is the recognized face and voice of America’s pro-life movement, it falls to us to carry the pro-life banner into battle.
You will be doing your part in that battle through your Summer Pledge and ongoing partnership with Priests for Life.
It’s been your sacrifices, your prayers and your financial donations that have allowed Priests for Life to lead the pro-life movement. And it will be your prayers and financial gifts that will help sustain Priests for Life’s vital projects throughout the summer and on up to November 3:
The battle that culminates on that day is for control of our nation’s government.
Believe me when I tell you that America will not survive as a free, prosperous and God-fearing nation if the pro-abortion extremists in the Democrat Party defeat us on November 3.
These heralds of the culture of death proved that beyond doubt during the coronavirus pandemic. Many Democrat politicians called the killing of babies an “essential service” and allowed abortion clinics to stay open, while not looking at Churches or peaceful protests the same way.
To these Democrats, going to church is nowhere near as important as offering abortions.
Knowing this, Priests for Life is pulling out all the stops to educate and mobilize millions of pro-life voters to rise up and rout the enemies of life on Election Day. As I’ve written to you in prior emails and letters, the Priests for Life projects that will help us accomplish that goal include:
Expanding our broadcasting on SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO PLATFORMS like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, ROKU, Amazon Fire and others. As more and more Americans turn to these forums for their news and information, it’s critical Priests for Life be there telling them the truth about how pro-abortion Democrats are destroying the nation. Right now Priests for Life reaches some 600,000 people EVERY DAY across social media platforms. Plans are in place to INCREASE our viewership and make sure MILLIONS of Americans know just how dangerous the Democrats are.
Producing new programs for our “Defending Life” series that airs over EWTN. In the USA alone, EWTN reaches some 95 million households. These viewers are good people. Their hearts are in the right place when it comes to fighting abortion. Our new programs will motivate them to get registered to vote and then to VOTE PRO-LIFE on Election Day.
Providing pro-life activists with the materials they need to expose the anti-life extremism of pro-abortion Democrats and all candidates running for office. This is the “Is This What You Mean?” project that I wrote to you about a short time ago. This one project alone will both open the eyes of voters and force candidates to try and defend their radical “abortion till birth” position. It’s a win-win for us.
Publishing and distributing our “Party Platform Comparison” guides so people can see the stark difference between the parties and know how radical, extreme and out of touch the Democrats are when it comes to abortion.
Producing a series of 10-minute videos that expose the pro-abortion extremism of the Democrats and explain why it’s vital for people to VOTE PRO-LIFE in 2020. These will be distributed to churches and posted on all of the social media platforms where Priests for Life has a vibrant presence (see list of platforms above).
Sending our priests and Pastoral Associates on the road to sound the alarm, warn people about the Democrats and rally America to REJECT the Democrat Party’s morally bankrupt and nation-destroying “abortion till birth” plans.
Send information and encouragement to thousands of clergy regarding what the law allows them to do and say relative to elections. It’s far more than they think. Educating voters about the candidates and parties is not partisan politics.
Of all those projects – and they are all extremely important – the one that may end up being the most important of all is Priests for Life’s work with the clergy.
You don’t need me to tell you that many pastors cower in their sanctuaries. They are afraid of losing their tax-exempt status should they become “too political” and speak out against abortion.
But here’s the truth about that:
No church has ever lost its tax exemption because of what was preached in the pulpit. And the 2020 election cycle will prove no different. It’s not going to happen. Period. Amen.
That’s because churches are automatically tax exempt by law.
No church or bishop or pastor or priest or minister needs a document from the government to be exempt from having to pay taxes. And while churches have a spiritual rather than a political mission, yet the Catechism states that in faithfully carrying out that spiritual mission, the Church has an urgent responsibility to be vocal in political matters when our fundamental rights require it.
Well, there is no more fundamental right than the right to life itself.
Tragically for our nation, the country’s two major political parties are starkly divided when it comes to protecting life:
The Republican Party platform declares: “We assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life that cannot be infringed.”
The Democrat Party platform declares: “We will continue to oppose – and seek to overturn – federal and state laws and policies that impede a woman’s access to abortion.”
But it’s even worse than that.
For not only do the Democrats place no limit on abortion but they are aggressively working to make you and me pay for abortions. They are doing this through their efforts to repeal the Hyde Amendment which is the law that protects much of our tax dollars from paying for abortions. The effort to repeal this Amendment is in the Democrat Party platform and the party’s presumptive nominee for President – Joe Biden – has promised to work to repeal the Amendment if he’s elected President.
And yet in spite of this stark and clear difference there are Catholic bishops who, every election year without fail, send out memos to their dioceses which say, to quote one of many:
“All priests, deacons and religious men and women are to refrain from publishing or speaking in favor of one political party’s stance or issue preferred over another’s.”
Or this one:
“Refrain from writing and or speaking from the pulpit about any matter that may contribute or cause disunity and anger among our brothers and sisters.”
How can such memoranda be implemented by any pro-life Church or pastor? Especially in light of this explicit teaching of the Catholic Church:
“The Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable” (Catechism 2271).
To favor the protection of the unborn is in fact to favor the position of the Republican Party over that of the Democratic Party. It is, de facto, to favor the position of President Trump over the position of Joe Biden.
What is a priest to do? Stop talking about abortion and all other sins?
Of course not.
And so Priests for Life is in constant communication with bishops, priests, deacons, pastors and ministers – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – to make sure they understand that there simply is no law forbidding clergy from articulating positions either supporting or discrediting the policy positions of political parties.
We especially encourage them to speak out against abortion. Your Summer Pledge dollars will do much to help carry on this work. They will help pay for:
Printing and shipping of my book “Abolishing Abortion” which gives clergy detailed information and historical support for preaching against abortion from the pulpit.
Weekly bulleting inserts which provide pro-life lessons for parishioners.
Publications with updates on the fight against abortion.
The guidance of highly respected legal scholars on all that the law allows clergy to do and say during elections.
Emails, letters and faxes to priests all across the country encouraging them to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Life and support for their pro-life preaching and work.
As I hope you can see, Priests for Life is going all out to end the Church’s self-censorship.
In order to defeat the abortion industry, we need to unleash the power of the Church.
And we need to do it NOW because, while Election Day itself is November 3, “early voting” actually starts in September in some states!
In order to educate and energize the clergy in time to make a difference – as well as carry out all of the other work I listed for you above – Priests for Life needs your immediate, consistent and generous financial help.
That’s why I’m writing to you with so much urgency today.
Prayerfully consider making a 3-Month Summer Pledge to Priests for Life.
As you do keep in mind that Priests for Life is uniquely equipped to do the work I’ve outlined for you because we bring the voice and ministry of the priesthood to pro-life clergy and laity!
It’s going to take $1,200,000 to fund all of Priests for Life’s work this summer.
Your Summer Pledge will go a long way in helping Priests for Life raise the $1.2 million we need to keep all of our programs and projects funded throughout the summer.
So please take a moment right now – before you go on to another webpage – to …
… make a special Summer Pledge and help keep Priests for Life fully funded and able to defend our unborn brothers and sisters from now until August 31!
I know you’ll be as generous as you possibly can be. You always are. So I thank you in advance for what I know will be a selfless Summer Pledge.
And since I know it will entail sacrifice on your part to fulfill your Pledge, I will continue to remember you at every Mass I offer! Thank you again for responding right away and may God bless you.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director
Priests for Life
P.S. Your dollars are critically needed so Priests for Life can warn people of how dangerous the Democrats are, with their policy of unrestricted abortion at taxpayer expense. To put it simply: The Democrats cannot be trusted with power, as they proved during the COVID outbreak when Democrat governors closed churches but kept abortion mills open.
Your Pledge dollars will help keep Priests for Life’s voice LOUD and STRONG ... especially now when that financial “perfect storm” I mentioned earlier seems ready to land a devastating blow to donations. We’re already seeing that with the 17% drop in donations during April. So please make as large a Summer Pledge to Priests for Life as you can.
And remember to PRAY for us! Ask God to bless our mission as we continue to lead the pro-life movement to victory over abortion. Ask Him to be with us especially on November 3 when this battle against the forces of darkness reaches its culmination.