I am sure it is not necessary to explain to any of our readers the meaning of “Operation Rescue.” I missed the one which they had in October but I was ready for the recent event – January 12-14. We were told to meet at an establishment in Toronto at 6:30 a.m., on Thursday, January 12. About 70 people were present. Anne Packer and Kurt Gayle gave us our instructions. We would go by bus to the Morgentaler’s abortuary.
The police – not too many, but enough – were standing quietly in a line on the outskirts of the crowd. Even when a scuffle began in the middle, they didn’t seem to be interested. But then they suddenly went into action. Apparently by a mutual arrangement between the police and the pro-abortionists women were being escorted into the abortuary by the police. Some had their heads covered with scarves. Our people “sat” their ground and tried to keep the entry blocked. But they were dragged away by the police and – with the physical assistance of the pro-abortionists, who were mostly women – the “patients,” as they are called, entered the house and the “physical” side of the Operation was over. Some stayed on to pray for the women who were now inside the abortuary being “treated” by the staff.
I went home feeling quite confused. Had we achieved anything? We didn’t seem to have saved any babies. Is there not “a better way?” I wasn’t sure and I went to bed early as tomorrow was “Another Day.”
The Second Day
On Friday morning we assembled again. We were told that we were going to the Scott abortuary on Gerrard Street. The procedure was pretty much the same as the day before except that we got there first. The police were much rougher the second day. They twisted arms and thumbed pressure points in people’s necks. Quite a number were arrested and taken to the police station and released after the usual filling in of forms.
But, although things didn’t seem any different from Thursday, I began to see a greater value in the Operation. I was standing up and looking down at our pro-life people – perhaps 60 of them. They were sitting on the hard, cold ground – it has snowed a bit earlier and it was very cold. Many had not eaten and they had been called “scum,” and some other less printable names. But they simply sat there and prayed and sang and suffered and smiled. I felt that if prayer and penance and patience have any value – all this is not lost. Let’s not forget the lesson of Moses on the mountaintop watching the battle between the People of Israel and the Amelikites. As long as Moses kept his hands aloft in prayer, the Israelites were victorious. When he stopped praying they began to lose. Eventually they were victorious through the prayer and penance of Moses! We may not see immediate results, but prayer and penance never go to waste.
The Third Day
We had been told that there would be a big pro-abortion demonstration at the Morgentaler abortuary at noon on Saturday. After the misery of Friday, I wondered how many we would have on Saturday. We expected about 100 but to our surprise and delight, more than 200 arrived and could not be fitted into the room. There were people who had driven through the night from North Bay and Thunder Bay. There were people from Niagara, Kitchener, Hamilton and Waterloo. The enthusiasm was tremendous and infectious.
By about 10:00 a.m., the police had erected barriers on the street in front of the abortuary and we were not supposed to occupy that part of the street. Our people decided on some civil disobedience and began to crawl along the street and get arrested. I was watching this from a safe distance but had not intended to get involved. Then I saw some young girls and boys being dragged along the ground by the cops and thrown into the paddy wagons – which were taking them away and returning empty for more. I saw Paul Dodds (my lawyer) getting his neck twisted and a few old men – like Leo Beecher – older than I am, being thrown around. The Irish in me began to boil and I felt it was time I got into the fray. I can’t remember how I got around the barriers but I found myself in the middle of the throng and hoping to be arrested. But some of the police knew me from other times and I was greeted with “Hi, Father,” I stood in front of one large policeman expecting to be grabbed and dragged off. But he smiled and said, “I wanted to be a priest once, but I wasn’t good enough so I became a policeman. “I said, “I wanted to be a policeman once but I wasn’t good enough so I became a priest.” A fib, of course, but it relieved the tension all around.
Then I met a young policeman names John, who had arrested me three times last year. I said, “John, why don’t you arrest me?” He laughed and patted me on the back and said, “You’ll have to wait your turn father.” Then I realized that I was definitely not on the “hit list.” I would have to just provoke arrest. Just at the moment Rev. Fred Vaughan, a great pro-life Baptist Minister, came alongside with a younger minister and said, “Why don’t we get arrested together?” It reminded me of : “Let us go to Jerusalem and die with Him.” I said, sure so we sat down where they would have to trip over us and we were arrested and put into the paddy wagon. I have to say that I was handled with care and no force was used. There were eleven of us and who was beside me but my great friend, Dr. Ray Holmes. We were taken to 14 Division where quite a number of our people were already. There must have been between 20 and 30. There I met Sergeant Ross, who had interviewed me on a previous occasion. I must say that I have found this police officer a gentleman. He is efficient, decisive, courteous and cheerful.
Pornography
But I had a shock coming. Our people – including quite a number of girls form 18 to 20 were at the far end of the room. On a wall just beside them were three pictures which I could only call “disgustingly pornographic.” They displayed young women with bare breasts and in most provocative poses. It was impossible not to notice them and our girls were obviously embarrassed. If I had been alone I would probably have pretended not to notice the pictures. But as a priest, I felt I should show some leadership – or was it the “Irish” again! Anyhow, I walked over and tore the pictures from the wall and threw them on the ground. Nobody did or said anything, but the ladies thanked me. I understand that the police have an “anti-porn squad.” I suggest that this squad should spend a week or so visiting the offices of police stations and ordering that pictures which are “degrading to women” be forthwith removed.
And so the Operation Rescue was over at least in terms of hours and days. But the effects will linger. Were we victorious? In media and sporting terms we probably lost. The pro-abortionists boasted that 16 abortions were performed on Saturday in spite of our presence! What a victory! But, as in the United States, I believe that it is only the beginning of a growing movement which will eventually wake Canada up to the awesome fact that in murdering babies in the thousands, we are destroying our country demographically, economically, morally and spiritually.
