WASHINGTON -- Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, issued the following statement today regarding a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Planned Parenthood:
"Congress will begin hearings on Wednesday into the activities of Planned Parenthood. This initiative of the House Judiciary Committee, entitled 'Planned Parenthood Exposed: Examining the Horrific Abortion Practices at the Nation's Largest Abortion Provider,' goes hand in hand with its ongoing investigation of both immoral and illegal activity on the part of Planned Parenthood.
"This step is, first of all, completely consistent with the very purpose of Congress and of government overall, which exists to secure the rights of the people it serves, starting with life itself. Second, it is imperative that Congress investigate potential illegal activities of an institution that receives a million and a half of our tax dollars every day. That should be a concern of every taxpayer, whether that person favors or opposes legal abortion.
"Third, in focusing on the details of late-term abortions, these hearings do a tremendous service to our nation as we continue to wrestle with the abortion issue. Most Americans who identify themselves as 'pro-choice' do not believe abortions should occur in the latest stages of pregnancy. And most of those who are unsure will become sure when they focus on the details of who these babies are and what abortion does to them.
"I have been a part of projects that investigate the abortion industry and I can say with certainty that there are Planned Parenthood personnel who -- by the standards of the law -- are guilty of murder, because some of the babies scheduled to be aborted are born alive and are killed outside the womb. Federal law prohibiting that practice needs to be enforced; Planned Parenthood is not above the law. Nor should it be above the basic moral standards of any civilized society.
"This week concludes with the
National Day of Remembrance (
www.AbortionMemorials.com) on Saturday, when simultaneous prayer services will be held at dozens of locations around the United States where the bodies of aborted babies -- many of them killed by Planned Parenthood -- are buried. I am proud to help coordinate this national observance. Like the hearings themselves, it helps our fellow citizens realize that abortion is not just about viewpoints, but about victims; it's not just about beliefs, but about bloodshed.
"Also on Saturday, a national prayer campaign begins (
www.PrayerCampaign.org) and focuses on praying for an end to the atrocities committed by Planned Parenthood. I urge all individuals, families, and Church communities to participate in this special period of prayer and fasting to last from September 12 - 20th."
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.