By Fr Tom Mangattuthazhe –
The COVID 19 pandemic has taken the lives of thousands of people, and yet another rampant endemic that is taking place day and night in the world is the horrific reality of abortion. In many countries of the world, prolife is a political issue, a religious issue for some, a moral issue for few, and not an issue for many.
There is lot of hue and cry about countries endorsing and opposing abortion. In this context, it is worth considering the legacy of St Mother Teresa who loved human life from womb to tomb.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, So God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26-27). The love of Mother Teresa for pro-life sprang from her deep love of God’s concept of human life. ‘For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. I was woven together in the depths of the earth (Psalm 139:13-16).
In the words of St. Mother Teresa, “How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.” Hence there is no justification for abortion. She continues, “I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.”
Abortion does not affect a mother alone, it affects the father, it affects entire family. It does impact the entire family. Mother Teresa understood this and consistently proclaimed the fact that every child deserves life and if we as humans cannot just deny this gift of God. Mother Teresa is certainly one of the few world leaders who uniquely addressed pro-life. She witnessed the evil ways of life gripping the world community on abortion. Her legacy is certainly continued by the Missionaries of Charity (MC) by affectionate care for the poor, the homeless, the lepers, and the destitute.
Fr.Mark Hodges says in Human Life International, “Every year, 47 Indian women out of 1000 commit an abortion. Fully one-third of all babies conceived are killed before they see the light of day”. This statement is a dangerous note on Indian society. It is a matter of concern that the orphanages in India that catered to thousands of children have undergone drastic policy changes.
Picture courtesy: Missionaries of Charity
Fr. Tom Mangattuthazhe is North East India Regional Bishops’ Council Secretary for Ecumenism