VATICAN CITY - 10 April 2008 - 400 words
Pope: Church must offer support to those hurt by divorce and abortion
"Divorce and abortion are decisions
that are sometimes undertaken in difficult circumstances, they
often bring trauma and are causes of deep suffering for those
who make them, " Benedict XVI said during an audience held
on April 5 with participants from the International Congress organized
by the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage
and the Family and the Knights of Columbus. The conference was
called: "Oil on the Wounds: A Response to the Aftermath of
Abortion and Divorce."
The Pope said he was glad to see the reference made to the parable
of the Good Samaritan that was chosen be the Congress' organizers
as the model in treating "the wounds of abortion and divorce
that cause great suffering in the lives of individuals, families,
and society." The Holy Father also pointed out that "men
and women nowadays often find themselves wounded and naked along
the roads of life. Oftentimes, there is no one to hear their call
for help and come to accompany them in their suffering, to console
them and heal them. In the midst of an oftentimes purely ideological
debate, a sort of taboo is created towards them. Only in the attitude
of merciful love can we draw near and bring succor and allow the
victims to stand up and return to the journey of existence."
In his address, Benedict XVI said: "the ethical stance of
the Church on divorce and abortion is clear and known by all:
they are grave sins that, in various degrees and keeping in mind
the judgements of subjective responsibilities, wound the dignity
of the human person, imply a profound injustice in human and social
relationships, and that offend God Himself who is the guarantor
of the marriage covenant and author of life. However, the Church,
following the example of her divine Master, always deals with
concrete persons, above all those who are most weak and innocent,
who are victims of injustices and sins, and also those other men
and women, who, having done such things, are marked by sin and
carry interior wounds, and seek peace and the possibility of recovery."
It is precisely towards these persons that "the Church has
the primary duty of approaching these persons with love and delicacy,
with maternal care and attention, to announce the merciful nearness
of God in Jesus Christ," the Pope emphasized, recalling that
according to the Church Fathers, Christ Himself, "the true
Good Samaritan, who has become our neighbor, who pours oil and
wine on our wounds and who brings us to the inn, the Church, in
which he cares for us, entrusting us to her ministers and paying
in person beforehand for our healing." He also mentioned
"the gospel of life and of love that is also the gospel of
mercy, offered to every man, sinners as we are, in order to pick
us up from our every fall and in order to heal our every wound."
In starting from God's mercy, the Church "fosters an immense
confidence in man and in his capacity to once again get back up
on his feet. She knows that, with the help of grace, human freedom
is capable of the definitive and faithful gift of self, that makes
the marriage of a man and a woman possible as an indissoluble
pact, that even in the most difficult circumstances human freedom
is capable of extraordinary acts of sacrifice and solidarity to
welcome the life of a new human being. Thus, we can see that the
Church's 'no' in her moral guidelines and that are often presented
to the public eye in an unilateral form, are really a great 'yes'
to the dignity of the human person, his life, and his capacity
to love."
Making reference to some of the reflections made during the Congress,
the Pope recalled "the sufferings, sometimes traumatizing,
that affect the so-called 'children of divorce,' that can even
make their path in life much more difficult," and he called
for a special "support and pastoral attention" so that
the children "may not be innocent victims of the conflicts
between divorced parents."
The drama of deliberate abortion "leaves deep wounds...in
the women who have an abortion and the people involved and produces
devastating effects on the family and society, as well as for
the materialist mentality characterized by a lack of respect for
life and favors abortion." In regards to this situation,
Benedict XVI quoted the encyclical Evangelium vitae that exhorts
women who have had abortions not to be overcome by despair and
not to loose hope, but instead reach an understanding of what
has occurred and interpret it in all its truth (cf. no. 99).
Lastly, Benedict XVI showed his appreciation for all the pastoral
and social initiatives "dedicated to the reconciliation and
care of those wounded by the drama of abortion and divorce,"
and affirmed that, along with many other forms of commitment,
"they are essential elements for the building of the civilization
of love that today more than ever is in need of humanity."
Source: Fides
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