EDITORIAL

Governor J. Joseph Garrahy: A man of honor and faith

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At the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul this week former Rhode Island Governor J. Joseph Garrahy was laid to rest. The Governor was a staunch advocate of the unborn and an outspoken pro-life Democrat.

During his tenure as governor, he signed countless pro-life laws and remained steadfast in his defense of innocent unborn children. Governor Garrahy was a courageous spokesman on behalf of the unborn and a consistent critic of the abortion movement in America. In an era when being a pro-life Catholic Democrat wasn’t such a rarity, the Governor was a leader who always kept the courage of his convictions and his deep Catholic faith.

Governor J. Joseph Garrahy is mourned by his wife, children and grandchildren as well as his many friends in the Ocean State. He was a Catholic gentleman and public servant who set an example of moral courage and conviction both in season and out of season. His example of a committed Catholic public servant is deeply needed in this era when politicians- especially many Catholic politicians- have callously cast aside conviction and faith for partisan ambition and political expediency. Governor Garrahy’s advocacy on behalf of the poor, the weak, and the unborn may not be popular with elected Catholic officials these days but his faithful service as a decent, moral public servant and as a truly committed Pro-Life Catholic set a standard. It is a standard that should be emulated by every politician in every age. May his noble soul rest in eternal peace.