Thursday, Sept. 28, is a day that should not be forgotten in the State of Illinois and in our prayers.
On that day, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law House Bill 40. That legislation authorizes the use of Illinois tax dollars to be used to take innocent human lives through abortions covered by Medicaid and by the state employee insurance.

The effect of this new law was succinctly captured by the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), the pro-abortion advocacy alliance. Their jubilatory tweet stated, “Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner just signed a law that will expand access to abortion in the state.”

The further politicization and expansion of abortion is a tragedy precisely because every abortion is a tragedy.

It obviously is a tragedy for the unborn child, the most defenseless and needy of our brothers and sisters.

It is a tragedy for the mother-to-be who is so often frightened or left to bear the consequences of a relationship without support.

It is a tragedy for fathers who often have no say in the loss of their child.

And it is a tragedy for society as we lose respect for the dignity of human life we all share and the God-given rights that flow from that dignity.

The Catholic Church and the faithful have worked hard and prayed much since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that legalized attacks on human life in the womb.

From advocacy to working in pregnancy assistance facilities the Church has challenged our societal conscience to return to a culture of life rather than death.

The gravity of abortion was underscored last November by Pope Francis himself. While visiting a maternity ward in a Roman hospital, he called abortion “a “very grave sin” and a “horrendous crime.”

The words of the Holy Father highlight the second great failure of the new law.

Opposition to the taking of innocent human life in the womb, whether it be for reasons of faith, or of science (and they all come together), makes this a statement of conscience.

Our country has long sought to respect decisions based in conscience, that deep element of our souls that is beyond the control of government. Even in time of war, conscientious objection is respected.

Respect for conscience is an essential element of the freedom that is basic to our country.

The new law, however, involves a deliberate violation of the consciences of those who understand abortion to be the taking of human life. Now, by the intricate and inseparable inclusion of abortion services as a tax funded service, cooperation in abortion is made compulsory for taxpayers by the State of Illinois.

The tragedy of Sept. 28 is not, of course, attributable only to the signature of the governor. It is true that, as noted by Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, that Gov. Rauner,“... did break his word.

He broke his word to the people, especially those who have continued to speak on behalf of the vulnerable child in the womb.”

However, our legislators first voted to approve the law before it went to the governor’s desk.

Simply stated, this law is bad for all of us and for our state.

The struggle to support the right to life has gone on for a long time and it will continue. So too must our prayers.

We need to pray for a conversion of hearts of our leaders and our elected representatives.

We need to let them know of our opposition to abortion and our respect for life, especially at election time.

But most of all we need to pray that our society recovers its respect for the meaning and dignity of human life, a gift that comes from the hand of God.