December 31, 2022
The Diocese of Providence mourns the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and we pray for the peaceful repose of his immortal soul.
Throughout his life and ministry Pope Benedict served God and the Church with humility and generosity. In following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Pope Benedict was likewise a good and wise shepherd whose impact on the Church and the world will be long-lasting. Pope Benedict was a world-class theologian who loved seeking and speaking the truth, and he taught the faith of the Church with the moral authority and doctrinal clarity so sorely needed today.
Pope Benedict, true to his name, was richly “blessed” by the Lord. He was a great man, but more importantly, he was a good man; a gracious, gentle and kind man whose example of charity and compassion, and gentle leadership, will be his lasting legacy.
May Almighty God open wide the gates of heaven to Pope Benedict and grant him a blessed reward of eternal peace and joy in the company of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, and with all the saints and angels in the kingdom of
Pope Francis has accepted the formal resignation and retirement of Bishop Robert C. Evans. We wish him well in his retirement, and may God Bless him with healthiness, happiness, and holiness. Ad multos annos
Bishop Evans, 75, was appointed auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Providence by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. As required by the Code of Canon Law, Bishop Evans offered his resignation to the Holy Father on his 75th birthday in September. Bishop Tobin stated:” For almost 50 years now, Bishop Evans has served the Diocese of Providence as a priest and, in the last 13 years, as a bishop. No one knows or loves the Diocese of Providence more than Bishop Evans, and we are all deeply grateful for his ministry.”
The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed Most Reverend Richard G. Henning, S.T.D., as Coadjutor Bishop of Providence with right of succession and has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Robert C. Evans, J.C.L as Auxiliary Bishop of Providence. The changes were publicized today in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. “I am most grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for approving my request to have a coadjutor bishop appointed for the Diocese of Providence… And, on behalf of our entire diocesan family, we are grateful to the Diocese of Rockville Centre for sharing with us such a good, talented, and faithful bishop like Bishop Henning,” said Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Providence, in a statement at a press conference this morning at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. Bishop Henning, 58, currently serves as auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York. As coadjutor, he will assist Bishop Thomas J. Tobin much like an auxiliary bishop. Still, he will automatically succeed Bishop Tobin as the next Bishop of Providence whenever the Holy Father accepts the latter’s resignation. “I am grateful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for the call to serve as coadjutor bishop in the Diocese of Providence,” said Bishop Henning at the press conference, “I give thanks for the opportunity to learn from Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, and I give thanks for the priestly and episcopal witness of Bishop Robert Evans who retires today.”
Biography Bishop Henning
On June 8, 2018, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States announced that Pope Francis had appointed Rev. Msgr. Richard Garth Henning to be an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. On July 24, 2018 in St. Agnes Cathedral, Rockville Centre, New York, Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop, Diocese of Rockville Centre ordained Bishop-Elect Henning an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Most Reverend William Murphy, Bishop-Emeritus, Diocese of Rockville Centre and Most Reverend Robert Brennan, the Bishop of Brooklyn, were co-consecrators.
Bishop Henning was born in Rockville Centre, New York in 1964 to Richard and Maureen Henning, the first of five siblings. He grew up in Valley Stream receiving the sacraments of Baptism, first Holy Communion, and Confirmation at Holy Name of Mary Parish, where he also attended the parish grammar school. In the summers, Bishop Henning spent a good deal of time on a small island in the Great South Bay where his family has gone for generations. There, he developed a lifelong passion for the water, sailing, boating, and kayaking on the bay.
Bishop Henning attended Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York and counts the Marianists as a major influence in his faith life and commitment to learning. He received a BA and MA in History from St. John’s University, Queens New York and received his training for the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington New York. He was ordained in 1992 and served for five years as an associate pastor at the Church of St. Peter of Alcantara, Port Washington. In that assignment, he did extensive pastoral work in the large parish school and ministered to the Spanish-speaking Catholics of that peninsula. In addition to fluency in English and Spanish, Bishop Henning speaks Italian and is able to read French, Greek and Hebrew.
In 1997, Bishop McGann assigned then Father Henning to post-graduate studies in Sacred Scripture. He earned a Licentiate in Biblical Theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and a Doctorate in the same from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy.
After his studies, Bishop Henning joined the faculty of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, where he taught scripture for more than ten years. In 2012, as part of the partnership for seminary formation among the Dioceses of Rockville Centre, Brooklyn, and the Archdiocese of New York, then Rev. Msgr. Henning was appointed to lead the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception through its transition to the largest retreat house in the Northeast. The Ordinaries of Rockville Centre, Brooklyn and New York also charged him to establish and lead the Sacred Heart Institute for the ongoing formation of Catholic priests and deacons. Bishop Henning is also noted for his work with international priests serving in the U.S.
Bishop Barres appointed Bishop Henning the Episcopal Vicar for the Central Vicariate of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in September of 2017. Since June of 2021, Bishop Henning has served as the Vicar for Clergy and the Vicar for Pastoral Planning.
Bishop Henning has been active in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, serving on the Doctrine Committee, the Subcommittee for the Church in Latin America, and as the Chair of the Subcommittee for the Translation of the Sacred Scriptures. Recently, he was appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.
On Sunday, October 23, 2022, the Most Reverend William D. Byrne, Bishop of Springfield, confirmed fifty-five young adults in their Catholic Faith!
We congratulate them and promise our prayers for them!!
The 5:00 PM Mass of Anticipation moves back to a 4:00 PM start time beginning on Saturday, November 5, 2022 Also, Saturday Afternoon Confessions move from a 4:00 PM start time to 3:00 PM on Saturday, November 5, 2022
This schedule is in effect until the first Saturday of April 2023
The 5:00 PM Sunday Evening Mass resumes this Sunday, October 2, 2022, and continues through May 2023.
Join us if you haven’t gone to Mass yet today!
See You in September Raffle Winners
First Prize -$5,000
Jerry O’Connell
Second Prize -$2,500
Rocky Ruggiero
Third Prize -$1,000
Stephan Toljan
Fourth Prize -$1000
Robert & Bridget Block
Fifth Prize -$500
Francine Hannon
Over 600 parishioners gathered on Friday, September 30, 2022 to celebrate the OLM Mercy Feast Week celebration of Oktoberfest. Great German food, beer and music! Great fun for all!
Labor Day 2022 Statement Focuses on
Promoting the Welfare of Working Families
WASHINGTON - As Americans prepare to mark Labor Day on September 5, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued an annual reflection on the world of work and the importance of upholding the dignity of all laborers.
“The Church often looks at the well-being of society through the lens of the well-being of the family. ”
“This Labor Day, let us reflect on how we can build a more just economy by promoting the welfare of working families through both charitable works and through advocacy for improved policies such as expanding the Child Tax Credit and passing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Advancing these two policies would have a profound impact on family stability, especially for families who are financially vulnerable,” said Archbishop Coakley.
In considering the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, he continued, “This unique moment necessitates a society and an economy that supports marriages, families, and women; it demands that all of us reach across political aisles and work diligently to reframe social policies in ways that are pro-woman, pro-family, pro-worker and, thus, authentically pro-life.”
Archbishop Coakley’s full Labor Day statement is available here
Synod report: Dialogue, engagement in the Mass crucial
Posted Thursday, August 11, 2022 6:00 am
By RICK SNIZEK, Executive Editor, The Rhode Island Catholic
PROVIDENCE — A Diocesan report chronicling input from the faithful in the Diocese of Providence following Pope Francis’s call for global participation in “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” has been approved by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin and advanced to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where it will be included in the report being sent to the Vatican through a multi-faceted process.
The Diocesan Committee on the Synod of Synodality collected more than 1,500 responses through an online survey, created by a sub-committee, to gauge public opinion on 10 themes identified in the Vatican’s 40-page preparatory document for the synod. Those responses, along with reports from several gathering sessions held around the diocese, formed the basis of the report.
Bishop Tobin thanked the committee, which he appointed on Oct. 17 during Holy Mass at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul to open the synodal process in the diocese, for their time, talent and personal commitment to its work over the past nine months. He noted that the report is “quite detailed and comprehensive.”
“I think it is fair to say that the Diocese of Providence responded in a very substantial way to what the Holy See asked us to do,” the bishop said.
A summary of the diocese’s synod surveys and discussions was compiled into a 12-page document that has been submitted for use in the regional phase, the next level of the synod preparations. National and continental phases will follow before final summaries are delivered to the Vatican in the universal phase in time for presentation and discernment during the October 2023 Assembly of Bishops in Rome.
Edward Trendowski, Ph.D., director of the Office of Faith Formation, and Michelle Donovan, assistant director, served as the diocese’s two contact people who led the committee, coordinating communication with the faithful across the diocese in order to gather their perspectives on a variety of issues regarding the Catholic faith.
Other members of the committee were: Father Michael Woolley, pastor of SS. John and Paul Parish, Coventry; Father Joshua Barrow, pastor of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Parish in Pawtucket; Sister Anne Frances Klein, O.P., Providence College; Marlyn Batista; Nicholas Belt; Diane Castro; Holly Taylor Coolman, Ph.D.; Carlene Fontaine; Deacon John Fulton, Ph.D., St. Kevin Parish, Warwick; Seminarian Nathan Ledoux; Devonn Pafume; Miguel Romero, Ph.D., Salve Regina University; and Richard Stewart, Bishop Hendricken High School.
Individual parishes were also encouraged to hold their own sessions to engage as many people in the process as possible.
“I think there was a lot of interest in the synod depending on peoples’ perspectives and what the synod was supposed to accomplish,” said Trendowski.
“It was wonderful to have people of various ages discuss topics related to the Catholic Church, many of whom had never met previously.”
The report concluded that from the experiences of the in-person gathering sessions, the survey and other points of contact showed that when people feel comfortable to dialogue with one another, even when conflicting ideas are shared, the partners can learn from the experience.
It also showed that for the majority of people active participation in Holy Mass has a positive bearing on their daily lives.
A parish report submitted to the committee about its meeting on the synod topics speaks positively about the ways diocesan outreach ministries participate in offering corporal works of mercy.
One participant in the synodal process, who had fallen away from the church, reported how her faith became reignited during interactions with Catholic staff at a local hospital who encouraged her to return to the Church.
Also, a layman submitted comments to the committee in which he recognized that pastors are “shorthanded, overworked and burning out.” He proposed that priests should invite the laity to more actively participate in the mission of the Church as they are willing to help wherever needed.
The report also noted that a parish leader spoke at a session of his positive experiences serving in a parish that has both English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners. He said that English-speaking parishes could benefit from programming that leads people to encounter Jesus Christ.
Another man, 78 years old, asked the Church to consider holding days of General Absolution as a way of welcoming back those who have fallen away.
Overall, the process itself was illustrative of the cohesion regarding communion, participation and mission, as well as other areas in which the faithful could grow, both Donovan and Trendowski said.
“By asking the first question about their positive experiences with the Church, participants were able to consider ways we can grow as a Church in communion, participation and mission,” Trendowski said.
Most of the attendees and survey participants were born into a Catholic family and raised in the Catholic faith, according to the report. A few people had stopped participating in church worship, but had since returned to attending Holy Mass regularly. Some had drifted away from the Church but were drawn back by being invited to return. Others commented on being inspired by good Catholic role models as they grew up, including relatives who served as priests.
When one woman mentioned in a session how she had very much enjoyed attending Catholic school growing up, but because her family could no longer afford it, she was sent to a public school.
This prompted a discussion in the gathering session about the need to provide increased financial support to Catholic schools.
Some participants sent in letters offering their views on specific issues.
One gentleman expressed his desire that the Traditional Latin Mass continue without restriction, while some lay people said they would like their pastors to more actively invite them to undertake specific tasks within the Church’s mission of evangelization.
Trendowski noted that the survey was especially valuable in gathering perspectives from the faithful.
Slightly more women than men took part in them, with the majority of respondents identifying as white. A little more than 10% of respondents were under the age of 35, while about 20% were under the age of 45. About one-third, 33%, were 65 or older, representing the largest demographic according to age.
“This certainly did not mean that everyone in attendance saw the Catholic faith through the same lens,” he said, adding that many participants had diverging views on some topics.
A key surprise from the survey were the responses received to the survey question, “Who is the Catholic Church not effectively reaching?”
A significant number of respondents indicated they believed the Church is not effectively reaching youth and young adults.
Donovan said that when she received responses such as these during the in-person sessions, she found it helpful to ask what specifically they were referring to, in this case the perception of some that the Church is not reaching young people.
“When someone says ‘the Church’ is not effectively reaching youth and young adults, it is unclear how many people recognize that we are all members of the Church,” with a responsibility to evangelize to young people and others, Donovan said.
Also, a few participants at the sessions suggested that women should be ordained to the priesthood and that Catholic priests be allowed to marry after they are ordained. Others expressed concern that women were not being heard or not being invited to participate in the life of the Church. Still others called for pastors to enlist help by reaching out and forming lay leaders to assist them in their ministries.
“When these sentiments were shared, they tended to be more directly stated in survey responses than in face-to-face conversations,” Trendowski said, adding that a number of Catholics did also share these sentiments at the gathering sessions or through direct phone conversations with the committee leaders.
He said that initially, some ideas presented for improving life in the church centered on changing Church teachings in certain areas.
“In some cases, when people advocating for a certain idea would present their opinion, their reasoning seemed to be the result of their formation from the broader American culture and not based on formation in the Catholic faith,” Trendowski said.
The diocese hosted four regional in-person gathering sessions in English, and one in Spanish, along with an additional session online. Through the process, the committee leaders heard from some participants who voiced concerns that the Church is not doing enough to change with the times if it is to continue to exist, while others countered that sentiment, insisting, “If the Church capitulates to the world, particularly on moral issues, it will continue to lose members,” according to the report.
When Pope Francis in 2021 opened the two-year process, known colloquially as the “Synod on Synodality,” many people around the world were delighted at the prospect of having their voices heard through this opportunity for discussion on ways to broaden and strengthen participation and life in the Catholic Church.
Donovan said it was interesting to note that even though some people expressed different opinions at the in-person sessions, the participants all sat together at the same tables and their discourse was always respectful and civil.
“I was pleased that there really was an atmosphere of dialogue and conversation,” she said.
The full report is available for viewing on the diocesan website at www.dioceseofprovidence.org.
Diocese releases summary report on Grateful for God's Providence capital campaign
By RICK SNIZEK, Executive Editor
The Rhode Island Catholic
PROVIDENCE — A summary report, released this week by the Diocese of Providence, shows that the faithful have responded generously to Bishop Thomas J. Tobin’s call to express their Catholic pride in a real and tangible way by donating to the diocese’s Grateful for God’s Providence capital campaign.
The campaign was launched in 2018, as the diocese looked ahead to its 150th anniversary in 2022, with a goal of collecting $50 million to strengthen parishes and support diocesan ministries through endowments.
By sharing a percentage of the donations with parishes (40% of every dollar raised in a parish would be returned to that parish up to their established goal, with 60% returned over that), the campaign has allowed pastors to tackle much-needed projects in their churches.
The diocesan share of the donations provides funding for several diocesan endowments, with an initial goal of collecting $8 million to provide support for seminarian education, $8 million for the Senior Priest Retirement Fund, $5 million for Catholic Charities and Social Services and $5 million for Catholic school tuition assistance. Additionally, $4 million was earmarked to replace the original roof of the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, the Mother Church of the diocese.
Despite a crippling pandemic and the significant financial challenges it has wrought upon the world, the campaign surpassed its goal of receiving $50 million in pledges, with just under $45 million having been collected so far.
The report, which provides results as of June 30, shows that from 17,451 donors, a total of $54,713,502 has been committed to the campaign, with $43,798,267 of this amount coming in the form of pledges, and the remaining $10,915,235 in one-time gifts.
With estimated uncollectible pledges of $4,160,835 (9.5%), the Office of Stewardship and Development projects total net proceeds of $50,552,667, with $44,398,190 collected to date and $6,154,477 remaining to be collected.
Of the amount collected to date, $32,691,172 was already distributed to parishes, endowments and the cathedral roof project at the end of the previous fiscal year. An additional $2,187,235 has been distributed in parish share funds since then, as well as $460,896 to complete the cathedral roof project. An estimated $3,425,667 remains to be distributed to endowments in the current fiscal year.
A total of $5,633,130 has been allocated to cover campaign expenses.
Bishop Tobin, offering praise to Almighty God for the blessings whose grace sustains us in all we do, extended his gratitude to all the members of the diocesan Church who worked well together to make the capital campaign a success.
“Thanks to our pastors for embracing this campaign and leading the effort in their parishes,” he said. “Thanks to our diocesan staff and our consultants, Guidance in Giving, for sharing their dedication and expertise. And thanks to our faithful parishioners who stepped forward, responded to the call, and supported this historic effort with amazing generosity!”
“The capital campaign has not solved every problem nor met every need, but it surely goes a long way in allowing our beloved Diocese to embrace the future with renewed hope and confidence,” Bishop Tobin said.
Tim McCaig, director of the Office of Stewardship and Development, said that thanks to the commitment of the faithful in the diocese, the campaign has been a “win-win” for all involved, as both the diocese and parishes are benefitting from the donors’ generous contributions.
Parish projects across the diocese included expanding or renovating church facilities, making necessary repairs, creating new parish ministries or strengthening existing ministries, paying off historic or current debts and funding outreach programs.
“Donors can fund the future important projects of the diocesan Church while seeing their parish hall get updated or their church roof replaced, things that are much needed and perhaps long overdue at their parish,” McCaig said.
“Over $15 million has gone back to parishes to date.
McCaig said the campaign has been very successful, especially when considering what the world has been through in recent times.
“We’re on track with national averages for pledge redemption and that’s throughout a pandemic and a difficult economic climate,” McCaig said.
Because many donors designated that their contributions were to be used to support certain endowments only, the goals for some individual funds may not be fully met.
“Even though we expect to hit $50 million, there’s designations, expenses and allocations from the parish share that could prevent an endowment from reaching the total amount it was earmarked to receive,” McCaig said.
The campaign started in 2018, and was split into five blocks. Each focused on a certain geographic area of the diocese at a time, with a total of 130 parishes working closely with Guidance in Giving to conduct 12-week campaigns at their parishes.
Parishes formed leadership committees, hosted informal receptions in their halls and made presentations at Mass, with 400 receptions taking place over the course of the campaign. Additionally, diocesan staff in the Office of Stewardship and Development, along with staff from the Catholic Foundation of Rhode Island worked to organize personal visits with donors and priests to solicit support for the campaign.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone that participated to make this effort successful, and hope this report serves as an informative update as to the progress of the campaign,” McCaig said.
The full report can be viewed online by visiting the diocesan website at www.dioceseofprovidence.org.
Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Providence, celebrated a Solemn Mass to mark the closing of the Diocese of Providence’s 150th anniversary year on Sunday, June 26th at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence. Listen to his outstanding homily here.
WASHINGTON - In response to the Supreme Court of the United States issuing its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities issued the following statement:
“This is a historic day in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers. For nearly fifty years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born.
“America was founded on the truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This truth was grievously denied by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized and normalized the taking of innocent human life. We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us.
“Our first thoughts are with the little ones whose lives have been taken since 1973. We mourn their loss, and we entrust their souls to God, who loved them from before all ages and who will love them for all eternity. Our hearts are also with every woman and man who has suffered grievously from abortion; we pray for their healing, and we pledge our continued compassion and support. As a Church, we need to serve those who face difficult pregnancies and surround them with love.
“Today’s decision is also the fruit of the prayers, sacrifices, and advocacy of countless ordinary Americans from every walk of life. Over these long years, millions of our fellow citizens have worked together peacefully to educate and persuade their neighbors about the injustice of abortion, to offer care and counseling to women, and to work for alternatives to abortion, including adoption, foster care, and public policies that truly support families. We share their joy today and we are grateful to them. Their work for the cause of life reflects all that is good in our democracy, and the pro-life movement deserves to be numbered among the great movements for social change and civil rights in our nation’s history.
“Now is the time to begin the work of building a post-Roe America. It is a time for healing wounds and repairing social divisions; it is a time for reasoned reflection and civil dialogue, and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love.
“As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue our service to God’s great plan of love for the human person, and to work with our fellow citizens to fulfill America’s promise to guarantee the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people.”
June 24, 2022
Statement of Bishop Thomas J. Tobin
on the US Supreme Court Ruling
on Roe v. Wade
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live. (Dt 30:19)
The Catholic Church has been clear and consistent in teaching that abortion is a grave moral evil. The Second Vatican Council decreed that abortion is an “unspeakable crime.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church insists that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception...Direct abortion is gravely contrary to the moral law.” In recent years, all of the popes have spoken clearly in condemning abortion. Pope Francis has said, simply and powerfully, “Abortion is murder.”
For this reason, I am very pleased that the Supreme Court has now effectively overturned Roe v. Wade that for decades has directed abortion legislation in this country. The decision is proper for both moral and legal reasons. In recognizing this decision, however, it is abundantly clear that the work on behalf of human life is not over; it has now just moved to a new arena and has assumed new urgency.
I take this opportunity to recognize the many members of our Church and the community who have been courageously and steadfastly committed to the cause of human life. Your commitment has not been in vain; your commitment has made a significant difference and you can be certain that God is pleased with your efforts.
While rightly insisting that abortion is evil, the Catholic Church also recognizes the particular needs that many women encounter when they are pregnant. For several years already, the Diocese of Providence has responded to this need with important programs such as St. Gabriel’s Call which provides personal and material assistance to pregnant women, new moms, and their infant children; and also the Cabrini Fund which offers financial scholarships to assist parents with child care expenses. These programs have supported women and children, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, for many years.
In light of ongoing needs of women and their children, I have directed our diocesan staff to increase the support we can offer to women and children through these already existent diocesan programs, and to be alert to other and new ways of providing assistance to women, children and families in the days to come.
The Supreme Court decision means that individual states will now have the responsibility of addressing abortion in their own jurisdictions. Sadly, Rhode Island has adopted one of the most liberal abortion laws in the nation, a disgraceful law that permits abortion even until the moment of birth. Some consider this to be “settled law,” but a law that permits the termination of children, including viable infants, should not be settled at all. I plead with political leaders in Rhode Island to do the right thing – to revisit our abortion laws in a way that safeguards the sanctity of human life and eliminates the enormous harm caused by abortion – to unborn infants, vulnerable women, the minority community, and to the dignity and quality of life in our state.
I wish to emphasize that those who support and promote abortion are not our enemies. They too are children of God and our brothers and sisters. We wish only what is good and holy and helpful for them, and we pray that they will sincerely examine their conscience, and will recognize the great dignity and value of all human life, including that of unborn children.
Indeed, the commitment on behalf of human life does not require only a change of laws, but also a change of hearts. This is, ultimately, a spiritual battle. The Catholic Church in the Diocese of Providence will continue to preach and teach about the inalienable dignity of human life, from the time of conception until the moment of natural death, and we will pray fervently for the change of hearts that enables all people, especially our leaders, to recognize the beauty and the value of human life and how contrary abortion is to God’s will and his eternal design for the well-being of the human family.
Someday, future generations of Americans will look back in disbelief and shame on our time and wonder how such a “civilized society” could allow, and even celebrate the widespread and zealous killing of its own children. They will wonder how we could have strayed so far from the natural law, from widely accepted moral principles, and even from common-sense human decency. When that day comes, I want those future generations to look back and say that the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Providence did the right thing – that we were truly wise and courageous in speaking out against abortion and in defending human life. And personally, I want to be counted among those who spoke out boldly and persistently on this critical issue, the most important moral issue of our time.
+Thomas J. Tobin
Bishop of Providence