I am sitting in a hotel room in southern Oregon. Several days ago, I flew out here to attend the funeral of my father in law.

When I got married over thirty years ago, I learned very quickly that my mother in law was a rabid anti-abortion advocate. We never talked about the issue but I recall once seeing one of those “fetus feet” lapel buttons on her jacket. Also, when we got married we flew out to Oregon for a reception and the day before my mother in law sent a notice of our marriage to the local paper. At that time she knew that I was with the National Coalition of Abortion Providers but in the announcement she noted only that I was “a lobbyist for a public interest group.” The irony, of course, was that when I got to the reception a number of people came up and asked me which “public interest group” I was with.

My father in law, on the other hand, was more circumspect about his position. He was a very independent thinker but, being a hotshot in the military, he was also very careful about weighing in on the controversial issues of the day. Still, there was one day about ten years ago when he let slip his opinion, which was that he was pro-choice. I never shared that information with anyone.

Then, about 5 years ago, he suddenly got baptized in the Catholic Church. He was in decent health at the time so it wasn’t one of those last minute, cover your ass conversions. I understand he took his conversation very seriously, which I admire.

At his funeral service on Thursday, when the priest was doing his homily, he urged the congregation to do a number of things in my father in law’s memory. “Help seek peace in the world,” “contribute to those charities that feed the hungry,” etc. Then, he added “pledge to protect all life from the moment of conception.”

Whoa! Wait a second. What did I just hear???

I was a little stunned, having recalled our conversation from years past. Then I wondered if he had really made the total conversion, buying into everything the Church espouses. Later that day I asked a few of his family members if they knew the priest was going to say that and they all said they didn’t. Some were ticked off, apparently in on the “secret” that the deceased had been pro-choice.

Now, it’s possible that he had had conversations with the priest before he died and actually did convert to the pro-life point of view. But I seriously doubt it. So, it just makes me wonder if the priest was taking advantage of the moment to put in a little plug for the fetuses? If he was doing that – shame on him.