The weekend of the March for Life seems like a good time to revisit Bl. Pope John Paul II's 1995 Encyclical,
Evangelium Vitae:
I would now like to say a special word to women who
have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have
influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a
painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have
healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give
in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what
happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves
over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to
give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To
the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With
the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of
your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of
everyone's right to life. Through your commitment to life, whether by accepting
the birth of other children or by welcoming and caring for those most in need
of someone to be close to them, you will become promoters of a new way of
looking at human life.
