Chicago, Ill., Apr 19, 2019 / 05:01 am
A pro-life group is coordinating ecumenical Good Friday services and Ways of the Cross outside of abortion clinics in more than 30 states, saying it is a fitting time to pray for unborn victims, their mothers, and clinic workers affected by abortion.
"There's no better day to remember the victims of abortion than Good Friday, when we remember the suffering and execution of Jesus Christ, an innocent man who preached the value of every single human life," Eric Scheidler, director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, said April 17.
Pro-life Christians have scheduled Way of the Cross services outside nearly 100 abortion clinics in more than 30 states, according to the Pro-Life Action League. It lists locations of these services on its website.
The league has coordinated the Good Friday prayer services since 2014 and expects thousands to attend this year. The group's website includes a guide on how to host a Way of the Cross for Victims of Abortion, aiming for a broad Christian audience.
"Though the devotion of the Stations of the Cross has Catholic roots, the service we conduct is completely ecumenical," the guide says. "People of every denomination join us each year and there is no material in the book that would be offensive to non-Catholics."
The Pro-Life Action League asks participating groups to report the time, date and location of their services for listing on the league's website.
"As a society, we've become increasingly sensitive to the victims of injustice, and that's to our credit," said Scheidler. "But we forget about the victims of abortion, starting with the more than 60 million unborn children who have lost their lives to legal abortion in the United States since 1973."
The millions of women who regret their abortions are also victimized, he said, as are some abortion clinic staff. He charged that abortion provider Planned Parenthood exploited sincere desires to help women, as with former clinic director Abby Johnson whose story is depicted in the movie "Unplanned."
The Pro-Life Action League was founded by Joe Scheidler in 1980. Its activities include public protest, sidewalk counseling, and youth outreach.
