Having just celebrated the Nativity of God in the flesh and His baptism by
St. John the Forerunner, we must pause and contemplate the meaning of life from
conception until our earthly death. In reading the Gospel story of the Theotokos
["Mother of God"] visiting Elizabeth and the babe (St. John) leaping in
Elizabeth's womb, we see that even in the womb, life is sacred. During the
Liturgical year, we celebrate the conception of the Theotokos and that of St.
John the Baptist, along with the announcement of our Lord's coming in the flesh
in the great feast of the Annunciation. All these events, together with the
sacred Tradition of our Orthodox Faith, teach us that we are to respect and
protect life from the moment of conception until we have breathed our last
breath. This strong belief in the sanctity and sacredness of life, based on
Scripture and Holy Tradition, obliges us to teach that abortion is the killing
of a human life.
An exerpt from Met. HERMAN's Archpastoral Message on "Sanctity of Life" Sunday (OCA):
Perhaps the greatest gift God has given us is life. When He spoke to Moses
in the burning bush, God revealed that He is the very Source of Life – Life and
Existence Itself. All life is an extension of and a participation in His life.
As such, life must be respected, honored, seen for what it is: a revelation of
the One Who is Life Itself, a gift given to mankind that ultimately leads us to
become “partakers of his divine nature,” as Saint Peter reminds us...
There are those who, right or wrong, have perceived that our nation is
engaged in a “war against Christianity.” While this can be – and is being –
debated, it is clear, however, that we are engaged in a “war against life.” And
it is in this war that there is only one “exit strategy” – the recognition that
all life is indeed a sacred gift from God, that it must be preserved and
protected, and that it must be a priority for those called to be stewards of
God’s creation. Persons of faith have been challenged to speak out, not
“against” abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, inadequate care for the
elderly and needy, but “for” life as a gift from God and a very participation in
His divine nature. Our society’s failure to recognize these truths stands at the
root of its readiness to accept such travesties; it is our calling to proclaim
the truth, to reveal God’s presence and image in “the least of the brethren,”
and to do all we can to ensure that life is protected on every level, at all
costs.
The Fathers of the Orthodox Church on Abortion.
Orthodox Christians for Life.
The Romanian Patriarchate's View of Abortion.
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