Pleading for decency in Philadelphia

Yesterday, I was honored to join in a prayerful protest outside the Medical Examiner's headquarters in Philadelphia. The subject of the protest was that the babies aborted by Kermit Gosnell, then mutilated and kept in containers such as mayonnaise jars and orange juice cartons, or in his freezer, are still in the possession of the Medical Examiner. This despite the request by Priests for Life, supported by many other major prolife groups, to claim the babies' bodies and give them the respectful burial they deserve.

Present were: Father Frank Pavone, Father Dennis Wilde, Brian Kemper, of Stand True Ministries,(formerly of Operation Rescue), Rev. Patrick Mahoney, of Christian Defense Coalition, Raymond Burke, Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life, and many students, seniors and in-betweeners, like myself. They came from New York, DC, Virginia, Georgia, one family drove in from Schnecksville, Pa. And those are just the ones I spoke with. All to stand out in the blazing Philadelphia heat and offer prayer and petition to honor the remains of the babies. After a few statements, we prayed for each baby by name (remember Father Pavone led a ceremony to name each one, here.

The group of leaders than approached the building with the intent of delivering a letter requesting the babies' remains. They were summarily locked out, police were called, would not help by delivering the letter, and on the Fox News coverage in the evening, apparently the Medical Examiner "already has plans" to respectfully "dispose of the bodies.

Here are a few of my own pictures.

 Brian Kemper, Father Pavone and Rev. Patrick Mahoney, gathering info before the event.

conferring together, also with Kristan Hawkins

Of course, the only news coverage.

Father Wilde who led us in prayer while the group tried to gain access to the building.

 Directly before giving their statements. The woman in the yellow top is the Fox News correspondent. (so sorry for forgetting your name, dear! --she also delivered the story on air last night around 6:30)

The group praying.  I was really touched and humbled by the lovely people I met there and their willing sacrifice.  As I stated before, some came long distances through rush hour beltway traffic. The students were especially sweet, one of whom was very solicitous of me, offering me a ride to my pretty-far-away car.

God Bless her-argh! I forget her name, but He knows who she is. :)


Here are a few links to the media story, which contains more details:
This one about the Medical Examiner story, and this one for the background of the Gosnell story.

At the end of the news story regarding yesterday--there is this statement:

We are issuing a national all call for pro-lifers to come here to stand for the dignity of Gosnell’s victims. It will be called a “Cry for Dignity” and take place on August 25 and 26 in Philly.
In the meantime, we urge you to make your voice heard by contacting the Medical Examiner’s Office at 215-685-7445 and asking for the release of these babies for burial.

Lord, have mercy.

ps--here is another article on the Priests for Life website

http://www.priestsforlife.org/library/4684-phil-medical-examiner-locks-out-pro-life-activists-demanding-bodies-of-gosnell-victims-for-burial
 

and here--in the aftermath

Archishop Chaput and the Gosnell Trial

An excellent article by our Archbishop -- if you would like to see the comments or add one, you can go to the original article here.

I have not been able to really write about Gosnell, perhaps because I didn't feel I had anything to add to what was already being said, but when I read this piece, it resonated.  Highlights are mine. 

The Gosnell story and its lessons

Some stories, no matter how unsettling, just can’t be ignored — even when some people are determined to look away.
The murder trial of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell will soon go to jury. And like every other criminally accused person under the law, Gosnell is innocent until proven guilty. Whatever the verdict though, there’s no ambiguity about the kind of business he ran at his West Philadelphia “Women’s Medical Center” ­— an abortion clinic that critics have likened to a meatpacking plant or a butcher shop, with unborn children delivered into a toilet, and jars of fetal body parts stored around the facility.
Dr. Gosnell was originally charged with one count of infanticide and five counts of “abuse of corpse” for killing fetuses born alive by plunging scissors into their necks. Without explanation, the judge in the case accepted a motion to acquit Gosnell of these charges earlier this week. Gosnell still faces four counts of first-degree and one count of third-degree murder. Eight of his coworkers have already pleaded guilty in the case, including three to third-degree murder.
Or so said The New York Times in a report dated April 23.  The date is important.  Gosnell’s trial began March 18, more than a month ago.  The Times coverage, while modest, is significant.  Why?  The answer is simple.  The Inquirer – Philadelphia’s hometown paper – has done a good job following the trial.  But most prestige national media have seemed remarkably eager to ignore the story until shamed into covering it.
Gosnell is much more than a “local” story. The continuing debate over legalized abortion is a hot-button national issue that drew half a million pro-life demonstrators to Washington in January. The battle over abortion restrictions continues in every state. Forty years after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, resistance to permissive abortion remains high. And the vivid details of the Gosnell clinic tragedy have the kind of salacious appeal that few national media would normally avoid — if the issue were anything else. But abortion is too often, and in too many news rooms, exactly the kind of topic that brings on a sudden case of snow blindness.
The real story in the Gosnell trial is bigger than the ugly allegations against Gosnell himself; it includes the failure — the allergic disinterest — of some of our most important national media. A headline in The Atlantic magazine, April 12, states the obvious: “Why Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s Trial Should Be a Front-Page Story: The dead babies. The exploited women. The racism. The numerous governmental failures. It is thoroughly newsworthy.”
The Atlantic story by Conor Friedersdorf is worth reading. But don’t stop there.  Read this by Kirsten Powers, columnist for The Daily Beast, in USA Today. And these excellent analyses by journalists Terry Mattingly, Mollie Hemingway and George Conger.
The irony is that much of the media’s lethargy in covering the Gosnell case really doesn’t surprise. It’s part of the fabric of a culture that simply will not see what it doesn’t want to see about the realities of abortion. And it leads to the kind of implausible claim made recently by one local commentator that “no sense of guilt is warranted” by the media because “there is no causal connection between coverage of [the Gosnell] case and bias.” It’s hard to imagine a more untenable alibi.
The brutality in abortion is intimate, personal and permanent. It violates women, and it kills a developing human life every time — whether the venue is a “Women’s Medical Center”-style meat factory or a soothing suburban clinic. What makes the Gosnell story unique is that it should distress anyone with its details, pro-choice or pro-life, regardless of religion or politics.
But of course, people need to know about an evil before they can do anything about it.

________________________________________________________________________________


Well put. The unwillingness to see the realities of abortion, Gosnell-Style or otherwise, has the same overtones as the Holocaust. And there are STILL those that deny that.

I am certain the media and abortion supporters are terrified people will realize that ALL abortion has the same result, no matter how it is carried out. They don't want the collective light bulb to go on. They want it kept in the shadows (to them) where it belongs.

The Gosnell trial is in closing arguments. Apparently he is laughing his way through it. Father Frank Pavone, of  Priests for Life is attempting to talk with Gosnell, once the trial is over. He is also requesting the remains of the babies to give them proper funeral and burial.

Here is a note from Father Frank's newsletter:

please spread the word that this Sunday, May 5, Fox News Channel will air a one-hour documentary about Gosnell at 9pm ET. This is a key opportunity to pull aside the veil from the violence of what goes on in abortion clinics all over the nation.

*FOX has changed the air date to this Friday, May 3 at 9:00pm

We’ve created a Facebook event for this. See Facebook.com/events/564620810244408/.

Lastly, here is a prayer Father Frank is asking us to pray and share:

Prayer in Response to the Gosnell Tragedy

Lord of Life and Mercy, You love all you have created, And call us to protect The lives and rights of our brothers and sisters. You care for the unborn And you forgive the repentant sinner. Lord, we turn to you With astonishment and sorrow As our nation learns the tragic story Of abortionist Kermit Gosnell and those he killed. Have mercy on him And have mercy on all of us. Pour out the spirit of repentance on all people, That we may face the evil that has been done And cry out against it. Bless all involved in our legal system, That they may secure justice under your guidance. Convert all in the abortion industry That they may cease their violence against women and children. Embolden all in public office That they may take the steps necessary To protect the public they have promised to serve. And give us all the grace to proclaim, celebrate and serve The Gospel of Life, Which is your Son, Jesus Christ, Who is Lord forever and ever. Amen

  

one week ago...in Washington DC

 Here are just a few of the kids that stayed overnight on the floor, in the lower level of the national shrine.

  One of the many altars, Mother of Good Counsel
---a personal favorite. :)

 a champion of the pro life movement

 Here are a few shots from around the rest of the shrine~




                                                  a beautiful wall of glass in the crypt

The main church













                                   

The Grand Exterior and famous dome



















now-we had to get to where the march was being held, which required riding the Metro--which promptly broke. We got off a stop or so early and walked/trotted the rest of the way. It was one way to keep warm!




          When we got there, here is where we waited till the March itself began~behind the rally stage. 

                                                Father Pavone -on the left.




                                                     

                                                

  For being such a recognized figure throughout the world, he is a very accessible, approachable guy.






                                            









         Hey,  Brother Leo!













Here a  few shots of the march, not taken by us, but to give you an idea of what was next~

We were there in the sea of black signs, toward the left.  This was at the head of the march and it continued at this volume for *hours.* The estimates were in the 350,000 range. Plus,it was in the 20's that day. Anybody see it on the evening news? No, I thought not. Oh, yes, NPR did a little coverage. They showed a close up angle shot, blocking out the masses in the background, of all seven counter protesters. hmm. I won't post it here, but it's all over if you want to see it. hrmph.

                         Here's our group, Silent no More Awareness. We're there somewhere :)

Then we reached the steps of the Supreme Court, and about 100 women and men, one by one got up and gave their post abortion testimonies. I was allowed to go fourth, as our bus was leaving in about 30 minutes...

everyone in that huge group listened so attentively and was so supportive~ it was a grace filled event.

Many thanks to Bob for getting what pictures he could. Between the crowd, holding a sign, having either gloves or cold fingers, he did pretty well!





Also, I still ask if you would please keep our daughter and family in your prayers. I may not be able to blog and interact with you all as much, but I do appreciate my blog-friends and your prayers mean a lot to us.


~thanks, God Bless you!~

          Kelly