Dear Editor,

     Even a cursory view of the section in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fr. Austriaco dealt with shows how badly reasoned his article is. For section 2484

(which he failed to quote) speaks about how to measure “the gravity of a lie.”

The criteria are:

1) the truth it deforms

2) the circumstances

3) the intentions of the one who lies

4) the harm suffered by its victims.

     The "truth it deforms" in the case of the activities of Live Action is very much

akin to the truth deformed in the act of spying. Spying is an activity which is mentioned

many times in the Old Testament (Deu 1:22, Jos 2:2-4, Jud 1:22, 2 Sam 10:3, and

many others) in a positive light. It is a necessary action in warfare and is justified by the

greater good it brings.

     The circumstances in this case are to engage in covert action against a far more

powerful and well funded foe, Planned Parenthood and the whole abortion industry, to

prevent abortion, the rape of young girls, and bring to light the dangerous and unethical

practices of same.

     The intentions of the one who lies are to bring awareness of an evil being perpetrated

against innocent unborn children, young girls, and their families so that legal justice might

be done to the perpetrators.

     The harm suffered by its “victims” is non consequential compared to the harm that the

“victims” (Planned Parenthood and the rest of the abortion industry) are doing to unborn

children, young girls, and their families.

     The paragraph goes on to say “If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes

mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.” First, notice that a lie

even constituting a venial sin is put under the conditional “if” (which suggests that not all lies

in themselves constitute even a venial sin). Second, notice that the seriousness of a lie is

measured by how much it offends justice and charity. It seems to me that Live Action is

seeking justice and charity through its work rather than offending against it.

     There is one area in which I agree with our academic in an ivory tower. And that is that

people who go out on the front lines and fight for justice and truth are often harmed through

engaging in the battle. I know this myself from the time I spent on the front lines. However,

we are willing to bear this cross because we know that we are doing God’s will as revealed

to us by both our faith and reason.

     The most troubling thing about Fr. Austriaco’s comments to me are that they might

harm the moral of the fine young people in Live Action who are taking a great deal of

personal risk while engaged in the battle for life on the front lines. If the battle for life is

like a spiritual war, then I’m afraid Fr. Austriaco’s article is like sedition.

                                                                                           John C. Wilhelmsson

 

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