Jerome Novotny OMI – Many individuals in today’s society understand the pain felt by mothers after they have aborted their babies. But what about Post-Abortion Syndrome which affects men? As the body count of unborn babies continues to increase, research shows that more and more fathers are desperately crying out in pain as a result of these abortions. Recent studies show that a father wants to protect his child even though the child may have a defect or disability. I refer you to an English article: “My ‘Friend’ Assumed I’d Be Pro Abortion for Cleft Babies Like Mine & He’s Dead Wrong”
Daily news stories show that unborn babies with disabilities continue to face unbelievable levels of discrimination throughout the world. The latest targeted are babies in the mother’s womb with clefts. I was surprised to discover that suddenly these babies are being aborted at an alarming pace. The sad part is that a cleft is not even a ‘disability’. It is a defect and, with today’s medical technology, can easily be corrected.
What are cleft lip and cleft palate? A “cleft lip” is an opening or split in the upper lip that occurs when developing facial structures in an unborn baby don’t close completely. A baby with a cleft lip may also experience a cleft in the roof of the mouth which is called “cleft palate”. Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects.
A child with a cleft palate is still a child – no matter how you look at it.
God tells us in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you.” A defect like cleft palate does not make a person any less human. This means that abortion because of a birth defect can never be justified.
Having a baby born with a cleft can be upsetting to many parents. But in most babies, a series of surgeries can easily restore normal function and achieve a normal appearance with minimal scarring. Children who receive treatment grow up to have completely normal lives.
In spite of the fact that it can be easily fixed with minor surgery, the abortion of cleft unborn babies continues to be legal in the United States, Europe and most countries throughout the world. Like Down Syndrome unborn babies, (abortions estimated around 90%), the war on cleft unborn babies surges forward. I believe this slaughter of unborn babies is a crime against humanity. Those involved should be punished for the intentional killing of innocent human life.
How many babies are born with cleft palate each year? It’s estimated that every three minutes, somewhere in the world, a baby is born with a cleft lip or palate, making it one of the most common birth defects. This is particularly true in developing countries in Asia, where the one in every 500 babies has a cleft palate and lip.
Does a cleft palate justify an abortion? Children born with clefts are usually repaired in infancy. These days, it is extremely unlikely to see anyone in society walking around with an unrepaired cleft lip or palate. The answer is abortion can never be justified.
Pope Francis summarizes this type of abortion as “inhuman eugenics”. To be more precise, Pope Francis says abortion, even of a sick fetus, is like hiring an “a person who is paid to kill someone”. The Catholic Church teaches that the abortion of babies with cleft palate is 100% unacceptable.
The Catholic Church teaches that Human Life is sacred. It teaches that by removing God from society, killing unborn babies has become “normal” in many countries. Abortions of babies with Down’s syndrome, deformed feet, cleft lips and palates, as well as other medical abnormalities, have become more and more commonplace.
It’s time for Catholics to take a stand. It’s time to follow “what God wants” and not “what man wants”. God speaks to us within the framework of the Catholic Church. He speaks to us daily through Pope Francis. He speaks to us through the Bible which contains the Words of God Himself. Today, God teaches us that the life and dignity of every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition.
Through the sacrament of Baptism, Catholics share life with God. And in order to become adult Catholics, it is necessary to trust God 100%, regardless of what the world around us says. Why? Because He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In Matthew 25:40 God says, “I can guarantee this truth: whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
We are motivated by our Love for Christ. This Love of Christ has opened the gates to eternal life for us. This same Love compels us to reach out to unborn babies with disabilities or defects and protect them from the forces of destruction.
Brian Clowes, an international speaker on human life, summarizes it very well when he replies to the question “Shall we accept disabled or defected children?”
“Disabled or defected children present us with a difficult problem. Society’s answer to this problem will decide whether we truly reflect the glory of God in our families and in our society. If we welcome the child who is “less than perfect,” in either his appearance or his abilities, then we are truly a people of God. Abortion, because of birth defects, rejects the child who is God’s gift to us – therefore rejecting God Himself.”
