Slaughter of Innocents is being repeated today

Excerpt from Archbishop Miller’s homily at the annual pro-life Mass on the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

From her earliest days, following the example of her Founder, the Church has fostered and protected human life. “In fact, the ancient Christian community’s radical unwillingness to tolerate assaults on life was a key factor in attracting people to the new movement. This is why, even today, the Church stands against any attempt directly to attack human life at any stage of its development.” To be Christian is to opt for life against the dominion of death.

The Church insistently raises her voice when human life is directly threatened at any time from conception to its natural end. Of preeminent concern in the many life issues that we are facing as Canadians is abortion, and there are many. I think this is due to the sheer number of lives that abortion destroys. I read some statistics that each year, between 2015 and 2019, 73 million induced abortions took place worldwide – that’s double the population of Canada. And in that same period, and I have no reason to doubt that this is also the case in Canada, three out of every ten pregnancies in those same years ended in abortion.

On this, the fourth day of Christmas, when we contemplate the serenity of the manger, we also hear the cries of pain of countless mothers and of their unborn children, even if these cries are stifled and often even unacknowledged. Amidst the joy and the wonder of birth, we have to open our eyes and ears to what is going on around us, and to be attentive to the muted cries of the unborn. And this requires that we work to persuade others to face the truth, to face the truth about the social and, of course, the moral tragedy of abortion. We recognize that the tragic events recorded in today’s Gospel – the slaughter of the Innocents – are being repeated in our own day, in our own city – and, as people for life, we are committed to eliminating this tragedy. The Christmas season is a time that challenges us to protect life.

In our country, (there is a) juxtaposition between how we celebrate the announcement of a new birth – we talk about the child and we talk about the mother – on the other hand, and this is the juxtaposition, there are clinics and physicians are ready to take the life of that unborn child, even if this condemns the mother to a lifetime of silent grief for the child that she was unable to hold.

Dear friends: as pro-lifers you are working zealously and indeed relentlessly – and it’s day in and day out, year after year, decade after decade – to foster in our country a culture of life, the reception of a culture of life, so that women in such difficult situations that they sometimes find themselves in will be supported in every possible way to give birth and to care for the child. That’s what so many of you are doing. That is truly a blessing. Indeed, you do accept that you are “your sister’s keeper” (cf. Gen 4:9). You are exemplary not only in advocating for a more profound understanding of the beauty of every human life, but you are acting on what you believe, providing all the practical assistance to those who turn to you. Mercy, hope, and assistance are the spiritual forces that permeate the pro-life movement here in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

Crimes against life in Canada are supported by governments, professions, the media, and public opinion. That’s why, more than ever, we need true evangelizers of life, evangelists, women, and men willing to take on the culture.

It’s an enormous task, yet we do not lose hope. What did the Angel say to the shepherds? “I am bringing you news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Christ, the Lord” (Lk 2:10-11). Thanks be to God, the Light has shone in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome that Light (cf. Jn 1:5). Let’s not forget that even though there are bloody Herods in our own day, there are still joyful Angel choirs who sing of the majesty of our Saviour and of our God.