Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, issued the following statement today regarding a prayer vigil planned for 10 a.m. Friday, July 19, outside the office of Philadelphia Medical Examiner Dr. Sam Gulino:
“In the 2010 raid of the abortion clinic of Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia, the remains of some 45 babies were found in jars, milk cartons, and other containers throughout the clinic and in the freezer. It is bad enough that these children were killed, whether in the womb or outside the womb. But their bodies have still not been buried, despite the offer of Priests for Life to conduct proper funeral services and burials, and the assistance likewise offered by funeral homes and other interested persons from around the nation.
“The babies are currently still in the possession of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner. As a reminder of their humanity, and as a sign of our solidarity with them, Priests for Life is holding a prayer service on Friday, July 19, from 10 to 11 a.m. in front of the building where they are being kept, at 321 University Ave., Philadelphia. If the Medical Examiner will not bring these babies to us, then we will go to them.
“Our Youth Director, Bryan Kemper, and our Pastoral Associate Kevin Burke, who works in the outreach of our Silent No More Awareness Campaign and of Rachel’s Vineyard, will assist in leading the service, in conjunction with our friend and colleague, Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition. We invite all people of good will to join us.
“The purpose of this prayer service is to commend these babies, their families, and those who killed them, to the love and mercy of Almighty God, in whose hands are the lives of us all. We seek to continue to shed light on the fact that these children are our brothers and sisters, and that their bodies are sacred and must be reverenced. We have already given them names, and we will hold a major national funeral service at some point in the near future.
“We seek, likewise, to shed light on the violence of abortion, which killed these children. The killing of a child is equally wrong whether it is carried out inside the womb or outside the womb. It is the violence itself that must end; the place where it occurs is secondary.
“We also use this opportunity to extend an urgent invitation to healing for all those who have been involved in abortion. We who reject abortion do not reject those who have had abortions; rather, we embrace them with compassion and love. Nor do we reject those who work or have worked in the abortion industry. They, too, need healing and compassion, which we provide through our work with the Society of Centurions, a program of healing and outreach for former abortionists and clinic staff.
“We invite all people of good will to join our efforts at StopAbortionNow.org.
See the Facebook event page
Related Press Release: Priests for Life asks Legal Group to Pose Questions to Medical Examiner re Gosnell Babies
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.