At the ninth annual Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner in New York last month, the National Right to Life Committee honored two outstanding pro-lifers: Archbishop Renato Martino, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, who has helped lead the fight to keep abortion out of U.N. documents at many international conferences; and Dr. James Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family, who has been a forceful defender of the right to life for many years.

Archbishop Martino, commenting on those concerned about respecting nonhuman life but not human life, said, “”Wouldn’t it be wonderful if [they] could muster up as much love for unborn children as they do for baby whales or seals or trees?” He thanked NRLC “for its uncompromising role in promoting human life as the treasure that it is.”

Dr. Dobson contrasted society’s sometimes deep concern for human life with the tragedy of abortion. “We grieve over the 3,000 lives lost, and we see the value of human life” in the September 11 attacks, but we’ve allowed 40 million children to be killed by abortion. We fine someone up to $25,000 if they kill an eagle egg, “but it’s not even a misdemeanor to kill an unborn child in the process of being born, perhaps three inches from birth,” in a partial-birth abortion. Regarding NRLC, he commented, “Only God knows how many human beings owe their existence to the work of this organization.”

Master of Ceremonies for the dinner was professor, actor, and humorist Ben Stein, and honorary Chairman was entertainer Pat Boone.

Among the Virginians attending the event were Rev. Jay Biber, Catherine and Frank Driscoll, Tina and Michael Kagel, Kathryn Nowinsky, Don Parker, Maureen and Dan Whalen, Patricia Whitecavage, and Geline B Williams, Chairman of the NRLC Board.

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, June 2002