A Catholic priest offered a prayer that included a plea for the protection of unborn children at the end of the Democratic National Convention.
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit who is controversial in the Catholic Church for his writings and commentary on gay and transgender people, prayed that those watching would open their hearts to “those most in need,” including “the unborn child in the womb.”
“Help to be a nation where every life is sacred, all people are loved, and all are welcome,” he said.
Rev. Martin confirmed to the Washington Examiner earlier that his prayer would contain explicit references to the unborn.
Although a hot issue for much of the Democratic primary, abortion did not play a major role in the Democratic convention.
Aside from Rev. James Martin’s prayer, the issue received minimal attention, with some speakers mentioning it in their speeches.
In contrast, Republicans are gearing up to make a major issue of abortion at the Republican National Convention next week.
In addition to several anti-abortion speakers, the Republican National Committee invited Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, to deliver the convention’s opening prayer. Dolan has previously done so at both the Republican and Democratic conventions, during which he prayed for the protection of the unborn.
