Bishop Loverde Leads in Pro-Life Cause

By Irene M. Lagan
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of April 10, 2003)

Throughout Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde’s Saturday morning pro-life Mass homilies, themes from the Gospel of Life resound over and over — prayer, education, service, peaceful activism and political responsibility. Each homily contains a specific teaching message and call to action, encouraging Catholics to seek the truth, to know Catholic teaching and public affairs, to demonstrate compassion and to be bold.

"The truth in which we must walk is the Gospel of Life," said Bishop Loverde int a March 8 homily at St. Lawrence Church in Fairfax. "Every time we uphold life by our witness, educational efforts, political involvement and legislative support, we are building up our society and putting into place a new culture of life."

"Christ’s ‘Follow Me’ was as much a statement of encouragement as it was a challenging command," he continued. "We reflect on the need to act in this way within the pro-life movement on this first Saturday of Lent in the Year of the Rosary, as we celebrate our monthly respect life Mass and then pray the rosary at a local abortion facility."

The bishop initiated the monthly respect life Mass and prayers at a local abortion facility in 1999, shortly after his arrival as the newly installed bishop of the Arlington Diocese. "We invited him the first time, hoping that it would become a quarterly event," said Robert Laird, director of the Office for Family Life. "The bishop responded by inviting us to join him monthly."

In addition to prayer and quiet witness in front of abortion clinics, the bishop has consistently addressed Church teaching on life issues, including contraception, cloning, stem cell research, euthanasia and the death penalty.

"One cannot be against abortion, and yet condone the destruction of human embryos for research purposes as an acceptable side effect of medical progress. One cannot be against abortion and yet accept the birth control pill or other chemical forms of birth regulation," he said. "This is because each form of birth control acts in various ways to prevent the newly conceived child from attaching to his mother’s uterus. As our Holy Father writes in the The Gospel of Life, they ‘are fruits of the same tree.’"

Urging public support for pro-life legislation outlined in his legislative pyramid of priorities, Bishop Loverde has repeatedly exhorted Catholics to "challenge" elected officials "respectfully, but clearly." Each year on Catholic Advocacy Day, the bishop travels to Richmond to lobby lawmakers and to encourage their support for pro-life legislation.

Speaking to the obligation of Catholics to embrace the challenge of insuring a just society, the bishop reminded Catholic advocates that the "cornerstone of social justice is the dignity of every human person — born and pre-born."

In addition to encouraging Arlington Catholics to make their voices heard in the public sphere, the bishop teaches his flock to "see the face of Christ" in others, especially those who suffer as a result of abortion. In an interview with Michael Flach, HERALD editor, shortly after his installation as bishop of Arlington, the bishop expressed a desire to "find ways to give women the opportunity to preserve the life of their unborn children so they would not choose abortion."

His commitment to reforming the culture is evidenced by both prayer and programs of action. Last year on Mother’s Day, the Office for Family Life launched Project Gabriel, a program that reaches out to women and families who need spiritual, material or emotional support during pregnancy. Now operating in five parishes throughout the diocese, plans are underway to extend Project Gabriel to 50 percent of parishes by the end of next year.

"One of the main things the bishop has emphasized is compassion versus condemnation," said Andrea Albanese, assistant director of the Office for Family Life.

In addition, Bishop Loverde has consistently supported Project Rachel, a program that helps men and women heal from the effects of abortion.

Bishop Loverde’s message has been faithful to his motto: "Encourage and Teach with Patience." In the homily at his installation, the bishop pledged his "respect, obedience, loyalty and solidarity" to the Holy Father, who is "the source and center of unity among the members of the College of Bishops and within the entire Church."

He has shepherded with patience, carefully relating ideas and social action to the words of sacred Scripture, the words of Pope John Paul II and the magisterial teachings of the Church. 

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