By Irene Lagan
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 11/13/03)
A day after President Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban (PBA) Act of 2003 into law, United States Senator Rick Santorum , R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, and his wife Karen received the John Paul II Award in recognition for his leading efforts in service of life.
The annual award, sponsored by the Institute for Psychological Sciences (IPS) in Arlington, recognizes individuals whose witness to life and to the "new evangelization" model the example of Pope John Paul II in contributing to a culture of life.
Cathleen Cleaver Ruse, spokeswoman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called the senator and his wife "champions of women and unborn children.
"Tonight we honor the Santorums with an award that bears the name of our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II — the great lover of life against the ‘culture of death,’" said Cleaver. "There is no doubt that the culture of death has swept through our century like a storm. Elective abortion is the most common elective surgery among women today, physician assisted suicide has a new respectability and medical researchers view the human embryos as a source of research material. But against this great tide is set the Catholic Church and at its helm is Pope John Paul II. It is difficult to imagine a man more suited to the task.
"It is very fitting, indeed, that tonight’s recipients of the John Paul II Award are two of our nation's greatest witnesses to life: Senator Rick Santorum and Karen Garver Santorum."
Since his election to the House of Representatives in 1990, Santorum has been a committed and passionate defender of the sanctity of human life. Most notably, he sponsored the PBA Ban Act of 2003, which was written specifically to address concerns raised by the U.S. Supreme Court in a Nebraska statute criminalizing the performance of partial birth abortions. The Court’s 2002 ruling in Stenberg v. Carhart declared Nebraska’s statute unconstitutional because the language was too vague and could have banned other abortion procedures. Santorum also introduced the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, a bill that was subsequently signed into law.
In addition, Santorum fights against the use of federal funds to subsidize abortions and euthanasia, and is a cosponsor of the Human Cloning Prohibition Act (S. 245), a bill introduced by Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas that would prohibit all human cloning.
Santorum said the eight-year battle to pass the PBA ban has ultimately been filled with significant events that mark a shift toward the culture of life.
"It is wonderful to see the president of the United States, the leader of the free world, say such life-affirming things," he remarked.
"This has been an incredible process of getting this bill passed. … Many remark that the eight-year struggle was a horrible thing. But I realized it is not a horrible thing," he said. "It is remarkable to read through the debates that have taken place on the floor of the Senate. They reflect two completely different views of the world. Looking back I could see things have begun to change. For the many times I thought I failed, I saw that had we been successful in the beginning, so many things would not have happened. As Mother Teresa said, God calls us to be faithful not successful."
Santorum credited his wife Karen, the author of the 1998 book Letters to Gabriel, with his success as a leader in the pro-life arena.
"All of you who are married know how important a spouse is in affirming what you do in your life. I would never have taken the floor of the Senate, would never have been a spokesperson for life had it not been for my wife’s constant support, and indeed prodding," he said, "none of this would be possible."
Letters to Gabriel is Santorum’s account of her difficult pregnancy that resulted in the birth of her fourth child, Gabriel Michael, who died two hours after he was born.
According to the Santorums, the book, which has sold over 25,000 copies, has impacted thousands of people who have suffered similar loss.
"Through Letters to Gabriel, Rick and Karen have given public witness to a private suffering shared by many. This takes courage and this takes love," Cleaver said.
Now in its fifth year, the IPS is a graduate psychology program dedicated to fostering a Catholic vision of the human person. The program offers students a formation that incorporates Catholic philosophical and theological traditions with the study of psychology. According to Dr. Gladys Sweeney, dean of students, the institute’s aim is to train psychologists who recognize the inherent dignity of each individual and who foster the full flourishing of the person in accord with a Christian understanding, and ultimately to transform thought and culture. The institute plans, which presently offers clinical master’s and doctor of science degrees, plans to offer a doctor of philosophy degree in the future.
The institute, which is currently in the process of seeking accreditation, has more than doubled in size since its founding in 1999 and has attracted students from across the United States.
Legionary of Christ Father Richard Gill, president of the IPS thanked the many benefactors and guests who have contributed to the success of the institute.
"Jesus Christ is the Lord of history. But we are the ones who transform the culture of death by restoring the sense of dignity to the human person. All the work we do in Church and in culture are very small steps. But God sees the heart of each and every one of us. He sees our cooperation with grace. Our institute is dedicated to transforming the culture by restoring the sense of dignity to the human person. Thank you for believing in us," Father Gill said.
Gene Zurlu, a benefactor of the institute, encouraged IPS students, faculty and administrators to continue building the institute.
"The work of the Institute is the discernment and diffusion of truth about human nature. This truth is the great armament in the battle that is going on in hearts and minds," Zurlo said. "Our Holy Father exhorts us to be not afraid. I will be presumptuous to add to that never give up the fight."
Master of Ceremonies Daniel E. Robinson, distinguished professor emeritus at Georgetown University and adjunct professor at the institute introduced Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, who gave the opening blessing. Robinson is a member of the philosophy faculty at Oxford University in England and an adjunct professor of psychology at Columbia University in New York.
Past recipients of the John Paul II Award include: Mary Cunningham Agee, founder of the Nurturing Network, an international organization that provides women with alternatives to abortion; George Weigel, senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.; former Congressman Henry J. Hyde; and Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J who was honored last year for his extraordinary work as a theologian.
For more information about the IPS, go to the Web site at www.ipsciences.edu
.Copyright ©2003 Arlington Catholic Herald. All rights reserved.
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