Unmask the unborn, follow the science

Responding to editors' requests for a regular sampling of current commentary from around the Catholic press, here is an editorial titled: "Unmask the unborn, follow the science" published online Sept. 22 by The Catholic Post, newspaper of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois. It was written by Tom Dermody, editor.

As we move toward October, Respect Life Month, we have a couple of suggestions for those interested in truth when it comes to human life.

First, unmask the unborn. Just as our face coverings -- necessitated by the pandemic month after month -- hide our expressions and muffle our voices, so too humans not yet born are hidden from view within their mothers and are voiceless.

Technology has helped us see them, yet abortion proponents seem to have coverings on their own eyes when it comes to the personhood of these littlest ones.

And that leads to our second suggestion: Follow the science. It is something President Joe Biden is known to advocate, except in this case.

At a recent White House news conference, President Biden said: "I respect those who believe life begins at the moment of conception. I don't agree, but I respect that. I'm not going to impose that on people."

Science would disagree. In a recent syndicated column, Catholic social justice advocate Tony Magliano recalled asking Dr. Jerome Lejeune -- who discovered the extra chromosome that causes Down syndrome -- when human life begins.

"At conception, of course," was Dr. Lejeune's reply. Asked then if any of his colleagues disagreed with him, Dr. Lejeune said: "No, we all know when life begins. But we don't all agree as to when life deserves protection."

In the coming weeks, find a way to share our belief that life deserves protection from its beginning until its natural end. For this ill in our society, truth is the best vaccine.