By Sarah Zagorski
Today in 1985, Mother Teresa delivered a speech at the National Right to Life Convention urging wholehearted devotion to the “little ones,” that is the victims of abortion and noted that the poverty they experience is unique and unlike any other. She said, “I think the little unborn child is the poorest of the poor, the most unwanted, the most unloved, the most uncared for, and the most rejected. Much worse than the lepers.”
Mother Teresa added, speaking of her care of lepers in Calcutta, “We take care of [thousands] of lepers, but they are loved. There is life in them.” She then honed-in on the poverty of their mothers to be in a situation where they kill their baby as the solution for their lacking, for their physical poverty. Her words were graced with love and her life certainly illustrated for us all how we are to care for the world’s poor. She encouraged attendees to help these mothers and those vulnerable to the violence of abortion whoever they may be.
Mother Teresa often asked the question, and did so again in this speech, “If a mother can kill her own child – what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me – there is nothing between.” I believe her meaning is if we as a people believe the best solution to world-ills, like poverty, child neglect and abuse, is destroying life, we’re on the wrong road. We are on a path that takes a detour, leading to only further destruction.
I don’t know about you but I needed to hear the words and the encouragement that she gave even though it was 35-years-ago. It’s been a year of sorrow for many of us, and between COVID, the consecutive murders of African-Americans, and countless examples of systemic racism in our country, we’re all trying desperately not to lose sight of hope. And in the world of pro-life advocacy, we’re striving to defend the defenseless knowing that our efforts, regardless of the outcome, is critical for the good of humanity.
It is my perspective, like Mother Teresa’s, that the violence of abortion only breeds more violence. In saying that I am not seeking to compare present injustices with abortion, but I am emphasizing that we cannot pretend killing babies is without consequence. We cannot rip babies from their mother’s wombs without repercussions for women and for our society as a whole. Unfortunately, humanity’s predatory tendency to seek and destroy those who are vulnerable begins before birth, in the womb. They are the very first targets of destruction and they are worthy of our continued devotion.
Mother Teresa, in closing, asks us to make one strong resolution: do everything in our power to protect life. I think the anniversary of her speech is a good time to do just that and rededicate our efforts to that vital mission; work to end the violence of abortion, find the vulnerable, and those victimized by the abortion industry, and let them know that they are priceless, unborn babies are part of the human family and there are people ready and willing to help them make a different choice for their family.
