My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

The tragic death of Leiby Kletzky has been a traumatic experience, not only for his parents and the Jewish community of Brooklyn, but for all who reside in this diocese.  The death of an innocent child is something we find hard to accept. We must believe, and our faith supports it, that the death of an innocent person has a meaning and a value beyond our understanding.  It is a kind of martyrdom which entitles those who die through violence a special claim on the mercy of God, who forgives and rewards and takes us unto Himself with open arms.
Our hearts go out to Leiby’s family and to the whole Jewish community that mourns his passing and are shaken by the senseless and tragic murder by a deranged member of their own community.
The death of a child is something that parents naturally find difficult to accept. It seems unnatural that a child should die before his or her parents.  No matter how old parents may be, if a child dies before them it usually is a wound that is hard to heal.  It is at times such as this that our faith must intervene.  Our understanding of death can give us the hope necessary to see our way to the future.  The Book of Wisdom tells us, “The souls of the just are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them. They seem in the view of the foolish to be dead and their passing away an affliction and their going forth from us utter destruction, but they are at peace.”
The Hebrew scriptures already bring an understanding of the care God has for those who are the handiwork of His creation.  During the time of Jesus, we see the controversy between the Sadducees and Pharisees regarding the resurrection of the dead. Jesus not only taught us regarding the resurrection of the dead, but also gave us the witness of His own resurrection to assure us that death is simply the passageway into a new life.
St. Paul, who meditated so deeply on the ultimate mystery of life and death, tells us, “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  (1 Cor. 54-55)
The experience of the tragic death of Leiby makes us aware of the suffering of parents who lose their children.  I make a special intention whenever I pray the fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, “The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple” to pray for all those parents who have lost children and who are still searching for a child.
Recently, the trial of Casey Anthony and the mysterious death of her baby daughter, Caylee, also has brought to our attention the tremendous feeling that people have for innocent children who die untimely deaths.  Would that this concern for children also be applied to the unborn, who truly are the most innocent and, unfortunately, have few to protect them.
A recent court ruling by a federal judge has put a stop on a New York City ordinance which would force pregnancy health clinics to declare that they do not offer abortion or birth control services in their advertising.  The decision most probably will be challenged by the City of New York. Isn’t it odd that abortion providers are not required to declare what they do, but instead call themselves “women’s health clinics?” Would it not be better that they call themselves abortion clinics?
The death of the innocent, born and unborn, reminds us that all life is an exercise in putting out into the deep.  It reminds us of our own efforts to protect our children from violence and sexual abuse.  The Church continues to be vigilant and redoubles its efforts to protect all of the children under our care.  Please join me as we pray for the Kletzky family and the Jewish community in our diocese as they mourn the passing of their dear son, Leiby, an innocent child.