Fighting abortion through the way of the cross

The way of the cross, which is often prayed during Lent, is an occasion to pray for unborn children and reflect on the negative, immoral influence of abortion. The Church today talks much about this great public misfortune and with various methods tries to halt its progress. Therefore, the practice of the way of the cross for unborn babies has spread lately. Parishioners of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and All the Bodiless Powers of the town of Chortkiv had the opportunity to participate in this spread. A spiritual-artistic community from the Borshchiv area, headed by Fr. Volodymyr Rachkovskyj, pastor of the Greek-Catholic Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Khotyn, helped them with this. Young artists Halyna Bybyk, Olesya Maksymiv, and Volodymyr Kharkhal' and their spiritual mentor joined not only in spiritual creation but, foremost, in order to, in an unusual way of the cross, to fight abortion and open people eyes to its terrible truth, and also to prove that human actions like euthanasia and violence are not human rights. The performers professionally worked on conveying their content with songs and instrumental accompaniment of the way of the cross. There was an unusual and perceptibly piercing quality to the prayers of the stations that the priest read, together with chords of calming music, reflecting on an unborn child and his invisible dialog with his mother. In the Church and, finally, in the hearts of those present echoed the sounds of songs in honor of every child who never saw the light of day. The words of the child at every station, sincere, just and convincing, forced an analysis of how frightful and cruel infanticide is. Through the mouth of the pastor, the unborn child cried out: «My parents did not plan the hour of my conception, but they planned the hour of my death.» After the prayer service, the pastor of the Church of Saint Michael, Fr. Volodymyr Lohush, at whose invitation the performers came to Chortkiv, thanked the organizers of the spiritual-artistic event, and also called all those present to thank God and their parents for the gift of life. The creative group of Borshchiv has now visited Chernivtsi with the way of the cross and plans to present it also in Kamyanets’-Podil'skyj and Chemerivtsi, in order to foster spirituality and carry Christ’s truth to the territory of the Khmelmytskyj Region, where Greek-Catholic parishes are now forming. www.buchacheparchy.org.ua/component/content/article/1-2008-02-06-18-28-37/154-2009-03-24-19-02-42.html Translated by the Information Department of the UGCC