Bishop Rene Gracida was a courageous World War II airman, ex-monk, friend of Pope John Paul II and the "Savior of EWTN" who appears to be the only real pro-life bishop in the United States.
[https://www.catholicworldrepor t.com/2016/01/11/airman-monk- priest-bishop-an-interview- with-bp-rene-henry-gracida/]
The larger-than-life Bishop Gracida is a real life hero who makes all the other living bishops in the United States look like Lilliputian Pee Wee Hermans by comparison especially when it comes to saving the lives of the unborn babies.
Catholic Monitor commenter Fr. VF affirmed that Gracida is the only real pro-life bishop in the United States:
"During the Pro-life Rescue Movement, people put their bodies between abortionists and babies. St. Thomas Aquinas and every other moral theologian teaches that one of the ways to become an accomplice to a crime is to remove an obstacle one knows is preventing the crime. Police were ordered to remove the people who had made themselves obstacles to abortions. With only a handful of exceptions, police obeyed the order to become an accomplice to abortion."
"Bishop René Gracida was the ONLY ordinary in the U.S. who taught the police that making themselves accomplices to abortion was a mortal sin, and a crime, and was absolutely forbidden by the moral law. EVERY other ordinary in the country was silent, or, like John May of St. Louis, instructed the police that they "have to obey the law, no matter what it is." (Auxiliary Bishop Austin Vaughan of New York was arrested in rescues--but his ordinary, John O'Connor, did not give the police any moral instruction.)"
"Gracida provided the police in his diocese with letters they could present to their superiors, clearly stating the moral law in this matter."
"John Paul II, while lavish in his praise of Nelson Mandela and his resistance movement in South Africa, never uttered a syllable about the Pro-life Rescue Movement. Bishop Gracida has been a majority of one at many other points in his career, while his fellow bishops unanimously waited to learn from the media and Democrat politicians what a Catholic bishop is allowed to say."
"The scene in Corpus Christi was altogether different: It was as though everything was set up in anticipation of Moses' arrival. He found spiritual support from Bishop Rene Gracida of the Corpus Christi Diocese, financial support from local developer and lawyer Cliff Zarsky, and even law enforcement encouragement from Nueces County Sheriff James Hickey."
"It was Hickey who first brought Corpus Christi into the national abortion debate in January. After several sessions with Moses, the sheriff placed on his office walls graphic posters of fetuses being aborted. He also announced that he would not stop protesters from blocking abortion clinics because it would be 'abetting murder.' His position on selective enforcement of the laws was endorsed by Gracida, who commended Hickey for his 'courageous and unequivocal statements.'"
"But many in the community were outraged. 'Here you have the top law enforcement official saying he would not enforce the law,' said Virginia Pursley, director of Planned Parenthood of South Texas. 'He chose to be a law enforcement official. He took an oath that he would enforce the laws. And now he is saying he cannot enforce a law? Can he pick and choose? Tomorrow he might not like the color purple. To me he is promoting lawlessness and anarchy.'"
"The Corpus Christi police chief, Henry Garrett, was caught in the middle. He disagreed with Hickey's policy, but did not want to exacerbate the situation by arresting antiabortion protesters all the time. In the year since Moses arrived, Body of Christ Rescue has conducted 22 protests. So far there have been no arrests."
"Six months after Hickey publicly joined ranks with the antiabortion movement, Gracida intensified the Corpus Christi drama. On June 1 he excommunicated 32-year-old Rachel Vargas, director of a local women's clinic, for what he called "sins against God and humanity." Vargas was shocked and disheartened. She said the bishop had never met her, never heard her story, did not know how many women she had talked out of abortions. 'In an earlier time I would have been burned at the stake,' she said. The national abortion rights movement was alarmed, saying Gracida's action was unprecedented and marked a new effort by U.S. Catholic bishops to silence church members who voiced pro-choice views."
"Gracida, a self-described 'shy, retiring introvert,' said he was merely following canon law and did not want to become a national figure. In fact his excommunication of Vargas was not unprecedented: He had taken the same action against physician Eduardo Acquino in February for performing abortions, but Acquino had kept quiet about it until the Vargas controversy erupted." [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/10/08/the-city-consumed-by-the-debate-on-abortion/88e76f55-445d-4c0e-97a5-8eeb8178057c/]
In January, "majority of one" Bishop Gracida again showed he is the only real American pro-life bishop saying "DO NOT KNOW WHY FRED MARTINEZ REPOSTED TODAY THIS ITEM FROM HIS BLOG ARCHIVE BUT I APPRECIATE HIS RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT VOTING FOR PRO-ABORTION POLITICAL CANDIDATES, OF WHOM THERE IS NO SHORTAGE RUNNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICE IN 2021":
[https://www.catholicworldrepor
The larger-than-life Bishop Gracida is a real life hero who makes all the other living bishops in the United States look like Lilliputian Pee Wee Hermans by comparison especially when it comes to saving the lives of the unborn babies.
Catholic Monitor commenter Fr. VF affirmed that Gracida is the only real pro-life bishop in the United States:
"During the Pro-life Rescue Movement, people put their bodies between abortionists and babies. St. Thomas Aquinas and every other moral theologian teaches that one of the ways to become an accomplice to a crime is to remove an obstacle one knows is preventing the crime. Police were ordered to remove the people who had made themselves obstacles to abortions. With only a handful of exceptions, police obeyed the order to become an accomplice to abortion."
"Bishop René Gracida was the ONLY ordinary in the U.S. who taught the police that making themselves accomplices to abortion was a mortal sin, and a crime, and was absolutely forbidden by the moral law. EVERY other ordinary in the country was silent, or, like John May of St. Louis, instructed the police that they "have to obey the law, no matter what it is." (Auxiliary Bishop Austin Vaughan of New York was arrested in rescues--but his ordinary, John O'Connor, did not give the police any moral instruction.)"
"Gracida provided the police in his diocese with letters they could present to their superiors, clearly stating the moral law in this matter."
"John Paul II, while lavish in his praise of Nelson Mandela and his resistance movement in South Africa, never uttered a syllable about the Pro-life Rescue Movement. Bishop Gracida has been a majority of one at many other points in his career, while his fellow bishops unanimously waited to learn from the media and Democrat politicians what a Catholic bishop is allowed to say."
In 1990, The Washington Post in an attack piece reaffirmed Bishop Gracida's pro-life credentials:
"The scene in Corpus Christi was altogether different: It was as though everything was set up in anticipation of Moses' arrival. He found spiritual support from Bishop Rene Gracida of the Corpus Christi Diocese, financial support from local developer and lawyer Cliff Zarsky, and even law enforcement encouragement from Nueces County Sheriff James Hickey."
"It was Hickey who first brought Corpus Christi into the national abortion debate in January. After several sessions with Moses, the sheriff placed on his office walls graphic posters of fetuses being aborted. He also announced that he would not stop protesters from blocking abortion clinics because it would be 'abetting murder.' His position on selective enforcement of the laws was endorsed by Gracida, who commended Hickey for his 'courageous and unequivocal statements.'"
"But many in the community were outraged. 'Here you have the top law enforcement official saying he would not enforce the law,' said Virginia Pursley, director of Planned Parenthood of South Texas. 'He chose to be a law enforcement official. He took an oath that he would enforce the laws. And now he is saying he cannot enforce a law? Can he pick and choose? Tomorrow he might not like the color purple. To me he is promoting lawlessness and anarchy.'"
"The Corpus Christi police chief, Henry Garrett, was caught in the middle. He disagreed with Hickey's policy, but did not want to exacerbate the situation by arresting antiabortion protesters all the time. In the year since Moses arrived, Body of Christ Rescue has conducted 22 protests. So far there have been no arrests."
"Six months after Hickey publicly joined ranks with the antiabortion movement, Gracida intensified the Corpus Christi drama. On June 1 he excommunicated 32-year-old Rachel Vargas, director of a local women's clinic, for what he called "sins against God and humanity." Vargas was shocked and disheartened. She said the bishop had never met her, never heard her story, did not know how many women she had talked out of abortions. 'In an earlier time I would have been burned at the stake,' she said. The national abortion rights movement was alarmed, saying Gracida's action was unprecedented and marked a new effort by U.S. Catholic bishops to silence church members who voiced pro-choice views."
"Gracida, a self-described 'shy, retiring introvert,' said he was merely following canon law and did not want to become a national figure. In fact his excommunication of Vargas was not unprecedented: He had taken the same action against physician Eduardo Acquino in February for performing abortions, but Acquino had kept quiet about it until the Vargas controversy erupted." [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/10/08/the-city-consumed-by-the-debate-on-abortion/88e76f55-445d-4c0e-97a5-8eeb8178057c/]
In January, "majority of one" Bishop Gracida again showed he is the only real American pro-life bishop saying "DO NOT KNOW WHY FRED MARTINEZ REPOSTED TODAY THIS ITEM FROM HIS BLOG ARCHIVE BUT I APPRECIATE HIS RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT VOTING FOR PRO-ABORTION POLITICAL CANDIDATES, OF WHOM THERE IS NO SHORTAGE RUNNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICE IN 2021":
Comments
It’s so good to hear what you noted about the solid, courageous, Catholic Bishop Gracida who valiantly shepherds his flock so wonderfully. Thanks be to God for Bishop Gracida!
We need to pray for all of the religious priests & sisters & lay people of the Holy Catholic Church. Prayers are definitely needed for cardinals, bishops, & priests to become holy, courageous shepherds of their flocks.
I hope you don’t mind, but in reading about courageous Bishop Gracida, I thought I’d share a most powerful homily from another very brave priest, which I just found online, tonight. If only more priests of all ranks were as honest & selfless & courageous as this priest & Bishop Gracida. I hope you don’t mind if I provide a link to it. Please, pray for the health, safety, & protection of the solid priest & Bishop Gracida. Thank you. Here is the link...
https://www.complicitclergy.com/2020/05/17/watch-courageous-priest-admonishes-bishops-for-abandoning-their-flocks/