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There is no limbo to speak of. Long before His Holiness Pope Benedict VI approved the findings of the International Theological Commission that the concept of limbo was never part of official Church Teachings, I have been telling people that aborted babies go straight to heaven. In fact, I have been asking the intercession of aborted babies, just as I pray to St. Joseph or St. Anthony.
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I came across an explanation by a theologian many years ago that “limbo” actually meant “let us just set it aside as we have no answer to that one yet…” when people would ask if unbaptized babies go to heaven.
It was with great joy and relief then when I read the encyclical Evangelium vitae or “Gospel of Life” of Pope John Paul II issued last March 25, 1995 declaring that aborted babies are now in heaven. This is in Article 99 where he encourages post aborted women to “ask forgiveness from your child, who is now living in the Lord.”
In our pro-life counseling centers where we have encountered countless women seeking healing after realizing the tragedy of a poor choice they made sometime in their life, informing them that their baby is now in heaven gives them such great consolation and hope to go on with life. They have been so overwhelmed with guilt that they have been clinging on to denial , illogical behavior and escape mechanisms, emotional roller-coaster relationships from year to year.
Counseling post-aborted women is a process. HEAL means Help, Entrust, Acknowledge, Let go. When the women call or come to our center, they know that Help is available. We encourage them to Entrust to us (and to the Lord) their pains and anxieties. Acknowledging their participation in the death of an innocent human being is a vital step in the healing process. They are assisted to realize that abortion is an evil no matter what good intention the woman or all those involved in the abortion may have. God loves the sinner but not the sin. Accepting this fact is the only way that they will see the importance of seeking forgiveness before they can finally Let go and surrender their life to the Lord.
Pro-life Philippines networks with other groups offering post-abortion healing: the Rachels Support Group and the Hope Alive Philippines. Many of the women who have experienced healing are now counselors themselves. And they are very effective in convincing troubled pregnant girls to go on with their pregnancy so that they will not undergo the same trauma they experienced when they had chosen abortion. Many of the members of the Rachels Support Group volunteer in the Home for Angels, taking care of babies abandoned and awaiting adoption.
With Pope John Paul II, let us give these words of consolation to our women - “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 mercy is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You will come to understand that nothing is definitively lost and you will also be able to ask forgiveness from your child, who is now living in the Lord. 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.” (Evangelium vitae #99)
Each one of us are called to reach out to extend God’s love and healing to our sisters and brothers. Yes, men who have been involved in abortion, also experience trauma and guilt. Feel free to contact us for materials on post-abortion healing or abortion-prevention – video tapes, training manuals, seminar schedules and copies of Evangelium vitae. You may also refer them to us for counseling. Call 911-2911 or text Sr. Pilar at 0920-945-5494.
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