The Catholic Church is well known for its opposition to abortion. Now several area churches are feeling the euect of this after three churches in Chippewa Falls—these being Notre Dame, Holy Ghost, and St. Charles Borromeo—as well as St. Peter’s at Tilden, were recipients of doorstep gravti taking issue with the Catholic Church’s stand.

The gravti incidents, which remain under investigation by Chippewa County law enforcement, reference Exodus 21:22 in apparent support of abortion, the Supreme Court recently overturning Roe v. Wade and returning the question to state legislatures.

Exodus 21:22 states that if two men fighting cause a mis carriage “but no harm follows” the man shall be punished, but not put to death, instead paying as the woman’s husband or the judges determine.

The verse, occurring in a list of laws relating to violence and harm, has been used to argue that a fetus was not considered fully human by the writer.

The Catholic Church meanwhile, considers a di- rectly-willed abortion and/or “formal cooperation” in same to be a "grave ouense direct ly contrary to the moral law,” referencing such authorities as the Didache, an early Christian manual of faith and morals, in its ovcial Catechism reference to the matter.

Prior to last week’s vandalism but after the Supreme Court’s June 24 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Father William Felix of All Saints Parish and once assigned to St. Charles and St. Peters, reflect ed on the meaning of the civil law, as well as shifting values in society in his bulletin message this week.

“The role of civil law and justice is to apply the law to evolving situations in a society regarding its fundamental common moral values,” Felix wrote in the bulletin’s Pastor’s Journal. “But what if the common moral values of a society change? Should the laws simply change with them , or should the laws examine whether that change is contrary to the founding principles of a society?” Going on to state that “with the reversal of Roe v. Wade we are forced once again to examine our consciences regarding our common moral values in this nation.” Closing out by saying that laws are meant to guard and protect moral values and truths while Roe had pitted the right to life against those of liberty and happiness,” Felix concludes that, “This is an extreme test of our own Christian faith and adherence to Christian moral principles,” ending with a call to prayer for his readers.