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Dear
e-link
Subscriber,
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at 1,202. Welcome new members!
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God Bless!
     
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 OSM e-link
Bulletin #67
Table of Contents
Remarks A beautiful thank-you letter from
a heroic young mother, Christy, who encountered a side-walk
counselor on her way into the San Diego Planned Parenthood
facility on First Ave., had a change of heart, exited the
facility, received assistance at Culture of Life Family
Services, and eventually gave birth to beautiful twins
Key Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects (please join us)
1. Second and Final Notice
-- Join the San Diego Chapter of Friends of
Fair Trade for "Reach Across the World -
Transforming Lives through
Fair Trade" on Saturday, May 10, 2008, from
8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
at Cafe Moto, 2619 National Ave. in San Diego (Barrio
Logan neighborhood)
- Breakfast and Lunch Provided!
2. The San Diego Men's Center, an organization that works
primarily with
male victims of domestic violence, will have a special
showing of the new
film, "Support System Down"
which explores flaws in the current child
support system -
Saturday, May 17, 5:30 p.m. at the Del
Mar Heights
Cinema - reserve a spot today
3. St. Dismus Guild & Culture of Life Family Services will
be will provide a
half-day men's sexuality seminar on
Saturday May 31, 2008 - the event
is for men only - St. Mary's Catholic Church,
Escondido, from 9:00 a.m. to
Noon - Speakers to include: Jason Evert, Philip
Rivers, Fr. Rich Perozich,
Steve Hicks, and Deacon Ken Finn
4. Mother’s Day “Thank you for my LIFE" Chain
set for Friday, May 9th, 2008,
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at North Harbor Dr. & Grape
St., North of the
County Adminstration Bldg. (Across from and North of
the Star of India)
Short Reports on Office for Social
Ministry Related Issues/Events
1. More than 200 participate in Mass and Rosary Procession
to Family Planning
Associates in Mira Mesa with Bishop Cordileone on
Saturday, April 26, 2008
2. NAMI Walk surpasses goal of $150,000 with more than
1,600 walkers
Web and
e-mail-based Resources
- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
launches an exciting
new 2008 Faithful Citizenship Web Site:
www.faithfulcitizenship.org
Local and Regional
Events/Gatherings/Projects
1. Attend the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade meeting on
Wednesday,
June 11, at 7:00 p.m. at the Open Door Book Store in
Pacific Beach
2. Get acquainted with detention ministry monthly
information/training
session offered by Deacon Walsh at the
Pastoral Center
3. North County prayer witness at the Carlsbad Planned
Parenthood Clinic
scheduled for every third Monday of the month from
10:00 to 10:30 a.m.
4. Prayerful witness for life at two locations in San Diego
County - every
Saturday at 7340 Miramar Road, directly above Metro
Flooring in the complex
with the Pyramid Building, adjacent to Carroll Road
and the second Saturday
of every month at 15546 Pomerado Road in Poway
5. St. Dismas Guild sponsors two weekly hours of prayer
for the unborn in
North County
6. St. John the Evangelist Parish in Encinitas Pro-Life
Mass and Rosary held on
the first Monday of each month
7. Most Precious Blood Parish in Chula Vista Rosary
Prayer Vigils held every
Wednesday at 8:45 a.m.
8. The ministry of prayer and sidewalk counseling at the
Clinica Medica abortion
facility in Chula Vista is seeking sidewalk counselors
for Wednesday mornings
9. Join neighbors and friends to pray in front of the new
Planned Parenthood
facility in El Cajon
10. The Goretti Group is offering a chastity prayer
gathering and a speaker
training monthly
Article/Statement for May 7, 2008
- Reprinting of a compilation of quotations on respect for
human life made by
Pope Benedict XVI and the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops
Remarks - A letter from Christy, a
client of COLFS
Last September I found myself in such a seemingly impossible
situation.
I was pregnant from a man who was abusive to me. I already had
2 kids with him. How could I leave him and support my children
and have another as well? Leaving him alone seemed
impossible. I was so scared. I was really, really scared.
So, one morning, I fed my children, brushed their teeth,
combed their hair and dressed them as a good mother should. I
took them to their Grandma's house and kissed them as I left. I
had a doctor's appointment, not just any doctor's appointment,
but an appointment at planned parenthood.
I was going to have an abortion. I didn't want to, but who
does?
My stomach ached and my moral self was in chaotic battle.
I arrived at the address in my car and circled at least three
times before I parked. My arms hugged my torso as I walked with
cloudy eyes and shaking legs to the front of the building. A
woman who saw right through me asked me if I wanted help. She
gave me a pamphlet that I had no intention of reading. She
told me that I had other options. I know, I thought. I am a
horrible person, I thought. I don't want this but I
can't...Maybe God will forgive me. I will never forgive myself,
I thought.
I walked up the stairs to the clinic and checked in. I
didn't look around the waiting room, but I wanted to. It was
very quiet. The women and couples in there were probably
feeling like I was. A nurse checked me in rather quickly, it
seemed. I was asked to sign a consent form after a few
questions were asked. I held that pen in my hand and looked
down at the paper. I could not sign it. I could not move my
arm. I don't think that I was even breathing. I couldn't move
my arm.
I couldn't hurt my baby because of my own fears. Tears
filled my eyes, the most sincere kind. At that moment, all that
was in my sight was my baby in my womb. I walked out of there
and back to the street. The lady who had approached me before
was still there and she just grabbed me and hugged me. I cried
in her arms. She held me like my mother would have. Her name
is Terry.
She gave me a card and insisted that I call Culture of Life
Family Services. I didn't intend on doing so at the time, but I
ended up calling them. They saw me right away even though my
insurance did not cover them. Come to find out...I was carrying
two babies! They were so supportive! I was honest with them
about my situation. Margie (I don't remember her last name)
took me in her office and talked to me about my troubles. She
and the doctor and the nurses all helped me out soooo much. I
didn't know how, but I knew that I'd be okay. Margie sent my
story out to the universe and I never expected what followed.
People started calling me. I want to help. I want to help.
I want to help! I didn't even know how to respond! I am so
thankful! Jeanette took me under her wing and started a chain
of supporters who have done for me more than I'd ever have
imagined. I mean that with all of my soul. Everyone who has
gone through Jeanette to reach out to me....Thank you. My
children have not gone without. In fact, this last Christmas
was the best Christmas of their lives! We had so much fun.
They tore into those presents and then we had a feast. It was
GREAT!
My twins were born on March 22. They are so beautiful. I
love them.
I love them so much. Thank you everybody.
I hope that someday I can talk to a woman who was in my place
and maybe make a difference like all of you.
Love,
Christy
A note from the Office for Social Ministry:
Thank you, Christy, for reminding us of the importance of both
maintaining a visible presence at abortion facilities and
providing a user-friendly social/medical/spiritual outreach to
families in crisis. When we get tired or frustrated, reading
your letter will provide motivation to continue the work.
Donations directed to families with profound needs can be made
through Culture of Life Family Services at:
http://www.colfs.org/donations.html
God Bless
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Key
Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects
Number 1:
Second and Final Notice --
Join the San Diego Chapter of Friends of Fair Trade for "Reach
Across the World - Transforming Lives through Fair Trade" on
Saturday, May 10, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Cafe Moto,
2619 National Ave. in San Diego (Bario Logan neighborhood) -
Breakfast and Lunch will be Provided free of charge! Coffee and
Chocolate tasting also at no charge!
This half-day workshop with breakfast, lunch,
and the sampling of fair trade products is offered as a gift to you
from San Diego Friends of Fair Trade
Come and enjoy learning about how you
can make Fair Trade work for your church or place of business - You
can Reach Across the World!
What is Fair Trade? It’s about justice. Fair Trade
provides an alternative trade model which insures healthy working
conditions and a living wage for farmers. Fair Trade aims to improve
living conditions in producing communities. Membership guidelines
and regulations for Fair Trade are managed by the non-profit
certification group, TransfairUSA. For more information on Fair
Trade, go to
www.transfairusa.org.
The morning will include Keynote Speaker, Jaqueline DeCarlo,
and a panel presentation
Free Continental
Breakfast and Lunch...
Registration for Reach Across the World is required by May 8, 2008
Register at:
www.fairtradesd.org
or register by
calling: 858-274-0587
To download and print a Pdf poster for this
event, go to:
http://www.osmelink.org/messages2005/ReachAcrossTheWorldPoster.3.19.08.pdf
Reach Across the World is sponsored by:
- San Diego Friends of Fair Trade,
- Café MOTO,
- Karma Market,
- Office for Social Ministry,
the Diocese of San Diego,
- Open Door Books,
- Christ Lutheran Church, and the
- Interfaith Committee For Worker
Justice of San Diego County
For more information, contact: the Office for Social Ministry
at 858-490-8327 or Carolyn Lief at 858-274-0587.
Reach Across the World - Fair Trade Mini-Conference
Saturday, May 10, 2008, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Tastings Provided at no charge
Cafe Moto in Barrio Logan
2619 National Ave.
San Diego, CA, 92126
Register at:
www.fairtradesd.org
For information or questions about the "Reach Across the World,"
contact Linda Arreola at 858-490-8327.
Number 2:
The San Diego Men's Center, an
organization that works primarily with male victims of domestic
violence, will have a special showing of the new film,
"Support System Down"
which explores flaws in the current child support system -
Saturday,
May 17, 5:30 p.m. at the Del Mar Heights Cinema
"Support System Down" is a film that highlights the everyday issues
of stress, family,
 struggle,
and suffering that families experience when put through the winding
maneuvers of the Family Court system. These courts are flooded with
more cases than the labor force can handle.
Hear what experts say about placing an
emphasis on divorce and child support issues, forcing a
strain between men and women through court orders. Parents are made
to pay exorbitant amounts of money in exchange for their credit,
homes, bank accounts and even their freedom.
The divorce rate in America has been
hovering at 50% for
 years.
Caught in the middle are our children. Is there really anything
more threatening to our faith and future than the destruction of
families?
For the past two years producer Angelo
Lobo traveled the country interviewing a wide range of individuals
for the ground breaking expose and movie, SUPPORT System Down; a
film which starkly reveals the destructive nature of America’s
Family Court System through interviews with custodial and
non-custodial parents, attorneys, judges, and policy makers on both
sides of the paradigm. For a sneak preview watch the previews here:
http://www.supportthemovie.com/trailers/
SUPPORT SYSTEM DOWN Special Showing on
Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. at the Flower
Hill Mall Ultra Star Cinema Theater in Del Mar, 2630 Via De La
Valle. Tickets will available at the theatre, $10.00.
For more information call
619-231-1909.
Directions to the theatre can be found
at:
http://www.ultrastarmovies.com/LocationPricing.htm#sandiego
Flower Hill 4
2630 Via De La Valle
Del Mar, Ca 92014
Number 3:
The St. Dismus Guild & Culture
of Life Family Services (COLFS) will be will provide a half-day
men's sexuality seminar on Saturday May 31, 2008 - the event is for
men only - St. Mary's Catholic Church, Escondido, from 9:00 a.m. to
Noon - St. Mary's Hall, 13th and Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025
This seminar will deal with the beauty of Natural Family Planning (NFP),
the effects of pornography on both individuals and marriage, the
power of reconciliation, and the joy of abstinence for those who are
single.
Seating is limited - so please register early via e-mail at:
benedictus1@aol.com or mail
your name address & phone Number to: Men's NFP Seminar P.O. BOX
2129, Escondido, cA 92033
This seminar is free - an offering will be taken to cover expenses.
Speakers include:
Fr. Rich Perozich, Pastor of St. Mary's
Philip Rivers, Quarterback for San Diego Chargers
Steve Hicks, CEO of Culture of Life Family Services
Jason Evert, Speaker and Apologist with Catholic
Answers
Deacon Ken Finn, Member of the Board of Directors,
St. Dismus Guild, Spiritual Director, COLFS
Men's Sexuality
Seminar
Saturday, May 31, 2008
9:00 a.m. to Noon
St. Mary's Catholic Church Hall
13th & Broadway
Escondido, CA 92025
For more information
contact Deacon Finn at 760-855-3460
Number 4:
Mother’s Day “Thank You for My
Life" Chain set for Friday, May 9th, 2008, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at
North Harbor Dr. & Grape St., North of the County Administration
Bldg. (Across from and North of the Star of India)
Please join the Helpers of God's Precious Infants as members pray
the Rosary in honor of Our Mother in heaven and our mothers on
earth. At this event, those who attend will
 also
ask for Mother Mary's intercession for an end to abortion. In
addition, they will provide public witness to highlight the choice
of motherhood!
Signs will be provided. No graphic signs, please. Ample metered
parking is available in lots nearby.
This Mother’s Day “Thank you for my LIFE" Chain is a peaceful and
legal expression of our First Amendment rights. Please do not block
sidewalks or driveways. Respond peacefully to those who may
disagree. And smile, your mother chose LIFE!
For more info: Sue Lopez 619-276-7525 or
sandiegohelpers@earthlink.net
Short
Reports on OSM Related Issues/Events
Number 1:
More than 200 participate in Mass and Rosary Procession with Bishop
Cordileone from Good Shepherd Parish to the new Family Planning
Associates (FPA) abortion facility in Mira Mesa, 7340 Miramar Road,
at the Pyramid, on Saturday, April 26, 2008
A
heart-felt thanks goes out to all who attended Mass at Good Shepherd
on Saturday, April 26th
 and
joined in the Rosary procession to Family Planning Associates (FPA) abortion
mill just two miles away. Mass was celebrated by Bishop Cordileone
and concelebrated by Good Shepherd pastor Fr. Michael Robinson and
Fr. Joseph Tabigue of Our Lady of the Rosary. Prayer warriors
processed with a statue of Our Lady of Fatima a few blocks to the
front of the FPA. A total of 110 people, including three sidewalk
counselors, prayed the Rosary led by Bishop Cordileone and Fr.
Tabigue. Before the group arrived, a young Filipino couple had
chosen life for their unborn child and left FPA. Later, another
woman accompanied by a girlfriend returned to speak with Terry, a
sidewalk counselor, and asked if Dr. Delgado and COLFS took
insurance, etc. The two women spent about twenty minutes in
 the
car talking and then drove away. It was also a relatively slow day
for FPA, with only 10 to 12 women arriving between 8:00 a.m. and
11:00 a.m.
Participants
prayed the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
interspersed with hymns. The group paused for a few minutes of
silent prayer following the Sorrowful Mysteries. Two men held a
large banner that read “We are praying for an end to abortion.”
They faced the constant traffic on Miramar Road. The Goretti Group
generously donated a relic of St. Maria Goretti to be carried
throughout the procession and Rosary. Participants believe that the
powerful morning of prayer will help bring graces sufficient to
close the doors of FPA forever. Four days later, Wednesday, April
30th, was one of the slowest mornings ever seen. There were only
seven or eight women that appeared to enter
 the
facility. A couple in their thirties with a baby in the back seat,
left FPA to make an appointment at COLFS.
Many parishioners from Good Shepherd Parish participated in the
April 26 procession and expressed interest in praying at FPA on
Wednesdays and Saturdays. These are the days that unborn children's
lives are ended. The Helpers of God's Precious Infants would like
to thank Bishop Cordileone, Fr. Tabigue, Fr. Robinson, Kent Peters
of the Office for Social Ministry and everyone who helped make this
such a beautiful morning of prayer, and to Our Lady of Fatima for
continuing to pour out her graces here in San Diego.
Sue Lopez
For more information on the Helpers of God's Precious Infants,
contact Sue at 619-276-7525.
Number 2:
National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI) San Diego surpasses fundraising goal with more than
1,600 participating in NAMI San Diego's Walk
NAMI San Diego did it!!! The chapter raised
over $150,000 at this year's Walk!
Thank You San Diego County - The Chapter couldn't have done it with
YOU!!!
On Saturday,
April 19, walkers were there bright and early with the excitement of
walking For The Mind of America. NAMI San Diego chapter leadership
would like to thank all who walked, volunteered, or donated to
walkers. We are all helping to make a difference in changing the
culture and taking a stand for better mental health services in our
community. More than 1,600 walkers participated this year, which
exceeded NAMI San Diego's goal!
St. Luke's Parish in El Cajon sent a team of 10 to the NAMI walk.
Together the team raised more than $1,000. Congratulations to Laura
Clark, St. Luke's NAMI team coordinator and parish disability
facilitator, and Laura's team!
Web and
e-mail-based Resources
Dear Faithful Citizens,
We (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) are pleased
to announce the launch of an exciting new 2008 Faithful Citizenship
Web Site:
www.faithfulcitizenship.org
with lots of resources for individuals, parishes, and other groups.
We hope you will find it helpful as you share the message of Forming
Consciences for Faithful Citizenship in your parishes, schools,
dioceses and other organizations.
You will find a wide range of resources for prayer and worship,
educational programs, family discussions, social concerns and
pro-life committees, and many other groups and ministries.
The Faithful Citizenship web site will regularly be updated as
new materials are added. In particular, the temporary Spanish page
will soon be replaced by a complete Faithful Citizenship web site in
Spanish. The temporary “young Catholics” page will be replaced by a
lively section specifically for youth and young adults that will
have interactive activities, podcasts, streaming videos, and other
resources and activities. We will keep you informed as these
changes are made.
Thank you for all you are doing to help spread the word about
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.
Sincerely,
Joan Rosenhauer, USCCB
New
Local/Regional Events and
Gatherings
If you are planning an event that falls within the mission of social
ministry, send the particulars four to five weeks in advance to the
Office for Social Ministry via e-mail,
osmelink@diocese-sdiego.org. The OSM reserves the right to
publish or not to publish any proposed event information. We hope
this will assist your local efforts to re-build a culture of life.
1. Attend
the San Diego "Friends of Fair Trade" monthly meeting in June
San Diego Friends of Fair Trade is a coalition of non-profit
organizations and congregations attempting to advance the cause of
fair trade. They work to insure that all individuals who toil, both
at home and around the world, to provide consumers with commodities
are paid a living wage, one that can sustain a life with dignity.
The next SD Friends of Fair Trade meeting will be on Wednesday, June
11, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. at the Open Door Book Store on 4761 Cass St.,
Pacific Beach - For more information please contact Carolyn Lief at
fairtradesandiego@gmail.com
2. Get Acquainted with Detention Ministry in the Diocese
of San Diego
Join Deacon Jim Walsh each month for an Information and Training
Seminar on Monday, May 19, 2008, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at
the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, 92117
See our web site for details:
www.diocese-sdiego.org/restore
Contact Deacon Jim Walsh for reservations or questions: 858-490-8375
or e-mail Deacon Jim
jwalsh@diocese-sdiego.org
3. North-County prayer witness at the Carlsbad Planned
Parenthood Clinic
North County parishioners meet the third Monday of every month
from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. to peacefully pray the rosary in front of
the Carlsbad Planned Parenthood Clinic. The clinic is located at
1820 Marron Rd. (in the shopping center just west of Plaza Camino
Real Mall). For more information contact Jahna White of St.
Margaret Parish at 760-586-6356.
4. Prayerful witness for life at two locations (7340 Miramar
Road in San Diego and 15546 Pomerado Road in Poway) in San Diego
County
Special Notice - New Location for Family Planning Associates
Helpers of God’s Precious Infants weekly rosary prayer vigil from
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday and Wednesday at 7340
Miramar Road, directly above Metro Flooring in the complex with the
Pyramid Building, adjacent to Carroll Road. Prayer
warriors also needed as early as 7:30 a.m.
Call Sue Lopez 619/990-1341 for more information.
Second Saturday of the month: 20 decades of the Rosary are prayed
in procession past 4 clinics following the 7:30 a.m. Mass, 15546
Pomerado Road, Poway. For more information, call 858-748-2109.
5. St. Dismas Guild sponsors two weekly hours of prayer for
the unborn in North County
Join members of St. Dismas Guild for a rosary picket at Womancare,
120 S. Craven Way, San Marcos, (across from Cal State San Marcos),
Tuesdays, 9-10 a.m.
The Guild also sponsors prayer (the rosary) in front of PayLess
at Mission Avenue and Escondido Blvd. 347 W. Mission on Thursdays,
10:30-11:30 a.m. For information on these prayer vigils, call
760-751-8541.
6. St. John the Evangelist Parish in Encinitas Pro-Life Mass
and Rosary held on the first Monday of each month
The first Monday of every month is designated Pro-Life
Monday at St. John the Evangelist Church, 1001 Encinitas Blvd,
Encinitas. The 8:00 a.m. Mass will be followed by a Rosary for
Life. For more information, please call Helene McIlhon at
858-756-0622.
7. Most Precious Blood Parish Rosary Prayer Vigils held on
Wednesdays each week
The Pro-Life Prayer Group from Most Precious Blood sponsors a
Rosary Prayer Vigil in front of the Clinica Medica abortion facility
at 1550 Broadway, Chula Vista every Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. For more
information, please call Shirley Henry at 619-420-7096 or Luis
Mendoza at 619-300-5563.
8. The ministry associated with the Clinica Medica
abortion facility in Chula Vista is seeking sidewalk counselors -
training will be provided
Please contact Luis Mendoza, a Missionary of The Gospel of Life
Lay Associate, at 619-300-5563, with questions or to share interest
in this ministry.
9. There is a new Planned Parenthood facility located at
1685 East Main, just off the Greenfield Drive exit in El Cajon -
join friends and neighbors in prayer
According to the PP website, chemical (RU-486) abortions
only are done at this location - not surgical abortions. They do
refer women for abortions to their surgical center on First Ave.
Join the group each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Contact:
Debbie 619-933-7776.
10. The Goretti Group offers chastity prayer and speaker
training monthly
Every First Friday of the month: Culture of Life Praise and
Prayer at Our Lady of the Rosary, Giovanni Room, 7:00 p.m. -
Praise the Lord to live music, join in praying the rosary, and hear
a witness on living the virtue of chastity!
Every Second Monday of the month: ChasteMasters Meeting at Our
Lady of the Rosary, Giovanni Room, 7:00 p.m. - Please join us in
prayer, a roundtable discussion, and providing feedback as chastity
speakers refine their talks.
For more info please visit:
www.thegorettigroup.org or call David at: 619-733-843
Watch for OSM e-link bulletin
#68 around Thursday, June 5, 2008
Article/Statement for May 7, 2008
We would like to thank Deirdre McQuade, chief spokesperson on
pro-life issues for the Catholic bishops of the United States, for
compiling the following quotations on respect for human life made by
Pope Benedict XVI and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
SELECT QUOTATIONS ON LIFE ISSUES FROM:
HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI & THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC
BISHOPS
On the Fundamental Right to Life
Pope Benedict XVI:
• God’s love does not differentiate between the newly conceived
infant still in his or her mother’s womb and the child or young
person, or the adult and the elderly person. God does not
distinguish between them because he sees an impression of his own
image and likeness (Gn 1:26) in each one.
• [L]ife is the first good received from God and is fundamental to
all others; to guarantee the right to life for all and in an equal
manner for all is the duty upon which the future of humanity
depends.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
• [T]he failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable
stages renders suspect any claims to the ‘rightness’ of positions in
other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human
community. If we understand the human person as the “temple of the
Holy Spirit” – the living house of God – then these latter issues
fall logically into place as the crossbeams and walls of that house.
All direct attacks on innocent human life, such as abortion and
euthanasia, strike at the house’s foundation. These directly and
immediately violate the human person’s most fundamental right – the
right to life. Neglect of these issues is the equivalent of building
our house on sand. Such attacks cannot help but lull the social
conscience in ways ultimately destructive of other human rights.
On Abortion
Pope Benedict XVI:
• Children truly are the family's greatest treasure and most
precious good. Consequently, everyone must be helped to become aware
of the intrinsic evil of the crime of abortion. In attacking human
life in its very first stages, it is also an aggression against
society itself. Politicians and legislators, therefore, as servants
of the common good, are duty bound to defend the fundamental right
to life, the fruit of God’s love.
• As far as the right to life is concerned, we must denounce its
widespread violation in our society…. Abortion and embryonic
experimentation constitute a direct denial of that attitude of
acceptance of others which is indispensable for establishing lasting
relationships of peace.
• [E]ven in the most difficult circumstances human freedom is
capable of extraordinary acts of sacrifice and solidarity to welcome
the life of a new human being.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
• Among important issues involving the dignity of human life with
which the Church is concerned, abortion necessarily plays a central
role. Abortion, the direct killing of an innocent human being, is
always gravely immoral (The Gospel of Life, no. 57); its victims are
the most vulnerable and defenseless members of the human family. It
is imperative that those who are called to serve the least among us
give urgent attention and priority to this issue of justice.
• While at times human law may not fully articulate the moral
imperative – full protection for the right to life – our legal
system can and must be continually reformed so that it will
increasingly fulfill its proper task of protecting the weak and
preserving the right to life of every human being, born and unborn.
On Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Pope Benedict XVI:
• Research [involving the destruction of human embryos]…is not truly
at the service of humanity....History itself has condemned such a
science in the past and will condemn it in the future, not only
because it lacks the light of God but also because it lacks
humanity.
• [N]o one can dispose of human life. An insurmountable limit to our
possibilities of doing and of experimenting must be established. The
human being is not a disposable object, but every single individual
represents God’s presence in the world.
• [T]he new frontiers reached in bioethics do not require us to
choose between science and morality: rather, they oblige us to a
moral use of science.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
• We must help those who are suffering, but we may not use a good
end to justify an evil means. Moreover, treatments that do not
require destroying any human life are at least as promising – they
are already healing some conditions, and are far closer to healing
other conditions than any approach using embryonic stem cells. The
choice is not between science and ethics, but between science that
is ethically responsible and science that is not.
On Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide
Pope Benedict XVI:
• The freedom to kill is not true freedom, but a tyranny that
reduces the human being to slavery.
• More and more lonely elderly people exist in big cities, even in
situations of serious illness and close to death. In such
situations, the pressure of euthanasia is felt, especially when a
utilitarian vision of the person creeps in. In this regard, I take
this opportunity to reaffirm once again the firm and constant
ethical condemnation of every form of direct euthanasia, in
accordance with the Church’s centuries-old teaching.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
• Euthanasia and assisted suicide can appear a reasonable and even
compassionate solution to the suffering of individuals and families
struggling with illness or the dying process. Yet these are not real
solutions – they do not solve human problems, but only take the
lives of those most in need of unconditional love.
Deirdre McQuade is the chief spokesperson on pro-life
issues for the Catholic bishops of the United States.
Ms. McQuade may be reached through
the USCCB Communications Department at 202-541-3200.
SOURCES FOR SELECT QUOTATIONS ON LIFE ISSUES FROM HIS
HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI & THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Participants at
the 12th General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life and
Congress on “The Human Embryo in the Pre-Implantation Phase”
(February 27, 2006),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/february/
documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060227_embrione-umano_en.html.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the
Participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for
Life
(February 24, 2007),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches
/2007/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20070224_academy-life_en.html.
United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, “Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to
American Catholics” (1998),
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/gospel.shtml.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address at a
Meeting on Family and Life Issues in Latin America (December 3,
2005),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2005/december/
documents/hf_ben_xvi_spe_20051203_family-america-latina_en.html.
Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the
Celebration of the World Day of Peace (January 1, 2007),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/
documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20061208_xl-world-day-peace_en.html.
Pope Benedict XVI, Speech to
Participants at the International Congress “Oil on the Wounds: A
Response to the Aftermath of Abortion and Divorce,” organized by the
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the
Family and the Knights of Columbus (April 5, 2008),
http://www.zenit.org/article-22218?l=english
(Full Italian text is available at
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2008/april/documents/
hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080405_istituto-gpii_it.html).
United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, “Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities: A Campaign
in Support of Life” (2001),
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/pastoralplan.
shtml#intro.
Ibid.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the
Participants in the Pontifical Academy for Life Symposium on “Stem
Cells: What Future for Therapy?” (September 16, 2006),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/september/
documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060916_pav_en.html.
Ibid.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the
Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See for the Traditional
Exchange of New Year Greetings (January 7, 2008),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2008/january
/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080107_diplomatic-corps_en.html.
United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, “Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning: Questions
and Answers” (2004),
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/stemcell/answers08052004.shtml.
Pope Benedict XVI, Homily at Mass
of Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome (May 7, 2005),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2005/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20050507_san-giovanni-laterano_en.html.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the
Pontifical Academy for Life Congress on the theme: “Close by the
Incurable Sick Person and the Dying: Scientific and Ethical Aspects”
(February 25, 2008),
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2008/february/
documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080225_acd-life_en.html.
United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, “Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities: A Campaign
in Support of Life” (2001),
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/pastoralplan.
shtml#ii.
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