SAINT LOUIS REGIONAL SENATUS
The Legion of Mary POST OFFICE BOX 1513
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63188
GUIDELINES FOR LEGIONARY INVOLVEMENT IN PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES
The Legion Handbook reminds us in Part 17of the Chapter Cardinal Points of the Legion Apostolate that “The work is done quietly, unobtrusively, delicately. It aimsless at the direct suppressing of gross evils than at the permiation of the commuity with Catholic principles and Catholic feeling, so that the evils die of themselves through lack of a soilfavorable to them.”
The Handbook also states in the same Chapter, Part 33“The Legion Must Be In The Forefront Of The Church’s Battle. If the Legion fails to take in hand the problems and the big evils, be certain that some other organization will eventually be started to do so. What a reproach to the Legion to be outsoldiered in such a fashion!”
Today the Church is engaged in a tremendous battle against an evil beyond comprehension --- an horrendous insult to the creative and sustaining power of God --- an attack on man’s first inalienable right --- the destruction or holocaust of innocent human life.
With the above in mind the St. Louis Regional Senatus issues the following guidelines to help its Praesidia and Councils direct Legionaries in their involvement in Pro-Life activities.
1.Legionaries must be in agreement with and must prepare themselves to defend the Church’s teaching on abortion, euthanasia, artificial birth control, and other areas of human sexuality. Refusal to accept the Church’s teaching is incompatible with active Legion Membership. It would be well that Legionaries study such works as Humanae Vitaeso that when truth is challenged, Legionaries will be prepared to promote true love and defend innocent human life.
“If a person’s right to life is violated at the moment in which he is first conceived in his mother’swomb, an indirect blow is struck also at the whole of the moral order, which serves to ensure the inviolable goods of man.” (Pope John Paul II, Washington, D.C., October 7, 1979)1
2.In all Pro-Life work, as in any other assigned work, strick adherence to the Standing Instruction must be observed, always faithful to the spirit of the Legion of Mary.
3.Every effort should be made by the Praesidium to circulate information about respect for life and the evils of abortion to the people it contacts on home visits, in Patrician groups, in book barrows, etc. Information on Pro-Life literature is available through the Diocesan Pro-Life Office. Copies ofHumanae Vitae could be distributed or made available for purchase.
“When the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, we will stand up and proclaim that no one ever has the authority to destroy unborn life. When a child is described as a burden or is looked upon as means to satisfy an emotional need, we will stand up and insist that every child is a unique and unrepeatable gift of God, with the right to a loving and united family. When the instiution of marriage is abandoned to human selfishness or reduced to a temporary, conditional arrangement that can easily be terminated, we will stand up and affirm the indissolubility of the marriage bond.” (Pope John Paul II, Washington, D.C., October 7, 1979)1
4.Counseling at a distance from an abortion clinic is suitable Legion work. The approach and conduct of the Legionaries would be as utilized in the well-known and common active work of “apostolate to the crowd” performed by the Legion throughout the world. In this instance, the individuals selected for approach would be girls and women entering the abortion clinic rather than simply a broad spectrum of people or female prostitutes, etc.2
The approach must be the basic approach used by the Legion in all of its various assignments. Let the words be those that Mary would say; the actions like those of Mary --- gentle, loving, kind, and constant in obedience to God’s will.
This work would be done by Legionaries working in pairs. A non-Legionary cannot be present with the active Legionaries; otherwise the basic Legion rule of confidentiality would be violated and the work could not be considered as a valid Legion work.
The information obtained cannot be given or furnished to any person or group except to the Praesidium. Otherwise, the confidentiality of the Legion would be violated.
The Legionaries must be on public property and not on private property belonging to the abortion clinic, or to anyone else.
Each Praesidium deciding to attempt this form of work should be prepared by seeking help and information from their Legion Council, their Spiritual Director, their pastor, and their Pro-Life Office. If such work is to undertaken by a nunber of Praesidia or other groups at one abortion clinic, it would be well to coordinate the time, The Legion should not attempt to supplant other groups who are doing good work. The Legion should try to supplement works of others where necessary or should undertake works that are not being done or need doing.
Active Legionaries are never permitted to march in front of a clinic, whether praying the Rosary or silent as a Legion assignment. In addition, it would seem inadvisable for other members of the Praesidium to be marching in front of the same clinic as private individuals when members of their Praesidium are assigned in pairs to do the “apostolate to the crowd” work at that particular clinic.
Any form of civil disobedience cannot be assigned as Legion work, and consequently cannot be reported as such.
“God, the Lord of Life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infaticide are abominable crimes . . .” (Second Vatican Council, GS 51) 1
5.With the growing threat of euthanasia, Legionaries must be aware of their role in upholding the sanctity of life for the elderly, the disabled, and those who are suffering, On calls to hospitals, nursing homes, and shut-ins, Legionaries can remind those visited and their care-givers of the value and importance of life. There is great redemptive value in acceptance of suffering and each moment of life given to mankind can be of immense value, no matter what age or the state health. 3
“It is necessary to state firmly once more that nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an infant of an adult, an old person, of one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. Furthermore, no one is permitted to ask for this act of killing, either for himself of herself or for another person entrusted to his or her care, nor can he or she consent to it, either explicitly or implicitly. Nor can any authority legitimately recommend or permit such an action. For it is a question of the violation of the divine law, an offense against the dignity of the human person, a crime against life, and an attack on humanity. (Prepared by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, May 5, 1980) 1
6.The Legion Handbook states in its chapter on Cardinal Points of the Legion Apostolate, No. 23,
“No Legionary body shall allow its influence or its premises to be used for any political purpose or to aid any political party.”
It is of importance that when reading this we make a distinction between politics and legislation. While Legionaries doing their assigned work should not attempt to promote one politician over another, it is in good order and at times necessary that the Legionary condemn legislation or proposed legislation that is morally wrong. For example, let us say that abortion comes up during a conversation on Legion calls and that the person visited is in favor of legislation that would guarantee the right to abortion. The Legionary must defend the Church’s moral teaching. To remain silent would seem to consent and what a shame.
7.In closing, let us all pray that our country will be delivered from the shadow of death.The power of prayer is great. The need is urgent. Let us reflect on the words of our Holy Father in his homily in Washington, D.C., October 7, 1979:
“Dear brothers and sisters: we are confident that Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of life, will give us her help so that our way of living will always reflect our admiration and gratitude for God’s gift of love that is life. We know that she will help us to use every day that is given to us as an opportunity to defend the life of the unborn and to render more human the lives of all our fellow human beings, wherever they may be.”1
FOOTNOTES
1.Sacred in All Its Forms, James V. Schall, S.J., Editor, Boston, Massachusetts, Daughters of St. Paul, 1984.
2.The Handbook states in Chapter XVI (d) on the Vexillina: “A miniature representation of the Vexillummay be used as a badge, and may be worn by Active Legionaries on occasions when desirable that Legionaries should be known as such . . .” It is the opinion of the Senatus that this sidewalk counseling may qualify for the wearing of the Vexillina (if available) by Senior Active Legionaries who have taken the Legionary Promise. All persons would be able to see and identify that their work is done “in such fashion that in those worked for and in one’s fellow-members, the Person of Our Lord is once again seen and served by Mary, His Mother.”
3.A project that all Legionaries could use, would be the Spiritual Adoption of the Unborn Program, whereby a prayer by Bishop Fulton J. Sheenis said eachday for an unknown baby who is in danger of abortion. The prayer is short: “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn child that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.” They can also offer up their pains and sufferings for this baby. While this is a very good program to present on Auxiliary calls, it is particularly helpful on calls to the sick and elderly. They have much they can offer up for their spiritually adopted baby. Also, by placing a value on the suffering and loneliness of shut-ins, it will make the pain more bearable for them. Spititual Adoption Cards can be ordered through many places including the Senatus.
April 15, 1993