Dear
e-link
Subscriber,
On Proposition 8 - The Protect Marriage Initiative
A new web address has been created specifically for Catholics
who want to actively volunteer in support of the "Yes on
Proposition 8" Campaign, the Protect Marriage
Initiative. Catholics should go to,
www.catholicsforprotectmarriage.com to volunteer.
A variety of "Yes on Proposition 8" support materials
for Catholic parishes, including: homily notes, flyers,
essays, business-card sized bulletin announcements, bulletin
inserts, backgrounders, and volunteer cards, can now be found on
the California Catholic Conference web site at:
http://www.cacatholic.org/news/ccc-provided-materials-for-use-in-parishes.html
On Proposition 4 - Sarah's Law Initiative
The Catholic Bishops of California will release a statement in
support of Proposition 4, Sarah's Law/Family Notification
Initiative, on or around September 10, 2008. We will send a
special e-link bulletin with that statement as soon as it is
released.
View the new three-minute YouTube video (see link below) in
support of Sarah's Law and send the link to everyone you know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D84LtdZiQL4&eurl=http://www.yeson4.net/
Also visit the "Yes on 4" updated web site www.yeson4.net.
As always, we remind current members and inform new members that
past e-link bulletins and this current bulletin can be viewed at
www.osmelink.org.
God Bless!
     
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 OSM e-link
Bulletin #70
Table of Contents
Remarks from California Catholic Bishops
on Proposition 8 - The Protect Marriage
Initiative
Key Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects (please join us)
1) Don't miss the 2008 Restorative Justice &
Detention Ministry Conference
set for Saturday, October 18, 2008, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. at the Pastoral
Center, Diocese of San Diego 3888 Paducah Drive, San
Diego, CA 92117
2) Attend Opening Mass and Rosary that will begin the
Rosary Novena to
Protect Life and Marriage on Election Day in
California
3) Save the date for the Interfaith Committee for Worker
Justice's Voices for
Justice Annual Breakfast on Thursday,
December 4, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. to
9:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, 1441 Quivira
Road in San Diego
Come celebrate 10 years of ICWJ service in
Southern California!
4) The OSM Voter Aid, "As a Catholic...
How Do I Decide?" in both English
and Spanish will be published online and in print in
early September
Short Reports on Office for Social
Ministry Related Issues/Events
1) Pastors, associates, deacons, parish staff and leaders
participate in
"Yes On Proposition 8" conference call
- more than 300 were listening
2) Voter Registration packets sent to
parishes on August 14, 2008 - The
answer to the question, "Where can I register to vote?"
is now, "That's
easy. Just visit the parish office."
3) Rachel's Hope's "Pool Party for Pro-life Workers"
a resounding success
4) Hundreds attend Culture of Life Family Services
Open House following
Mass with Bishop Cordileone celebrating the Feast of the
Assumption
Web and
e-mail-based Resources
- Is there any evidence that sex selective abortions are
taking place in
the United States? Are boys more valuable than girls?
Watch this YouTube
video from the Population Research Institute. You may
be shocked:
http://www.youtube.com/colinpri1
Local and Regional
Events/Gatherings/Projects
1. Attend the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade
meeting on Wednesday,
September 10, at 6:00 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
- September dates
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 will be moving to the
new site soon
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 August 26, 2008
- Have you ever wondered why a significant segment of the
population in the
United States condones sex outside of marriage? Find
the answer
in
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski's essay, "On the 40th Anniversary of
Humanae Vitae." Perhaps we made a wrong
turn in the late 1960s?
Remarks from the California
Catholic Bishops
A Constitutional Amendment to Restore the Definition of
Marriage - A Statement
"Only the rock of complete and irrevocable love between man and
woman is capable of acting as a foundation for a society that
can be home to all human beings."
—Pope Benedict XVI, addressing the John Paul II Institute
for Studies on Marriage and the Family, May 11, 2006
The issue before us with Proposition 8 is
"marriage"—an ancient, yet modern, human institution which
pre-exists both Church and government. Marriage, history shows
us, is intrinsic to stable, flourishing and hospitable
societies. Although cultural differences have occurred, what has
never changed is that marriage is the ideal relationship between
a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation and the
continuation of the human race.
On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the
current law defining marriage as between a man and a woman is
unconstitutional. This radical change in public policy will have
many profound effects on our society, because it
- Discounts the biological and organic
reality of marriage—and how deeply embedded it is in our
culture, our language and our laws and ignores the common
understanding of the word marriage; and because it
- Diminishes the word "marriage" to mean only
a "partnership"-a purely adult contractual arrangement for
individuals over the age of 18. Children—if there are any—are
no longer a primary societal rationale for the institution.
As teachers of the faith, we invite our faithful Catholics to
carefully form their consciences. We do that by drawing on the
revelation of Scripture, the wisdom of Tradition, the experience
and insights of holy men and women as well as on what can be
known by reason alone.
Crystallizing the teaching on marriage, the Catechism of the
Catholic Church (1603, 1604) proclaims:
God himself is the author of marriage.
The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man
and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage
is not a purely human institution despite the many variations
it may have undergone through the centuries in different
cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. The
well-being of the individual person and of both human and
Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state
of conjugal and family life.
With all this in mind, we, as bishops, offer counsel to our
Catholic people in California in their response to this radical
change in California's public policy regarding marriage.
First, same-sex unions are not the same as opposite-sex unions.
The marriage of a man and a woman embraces not only their sexual
complementarity as designed by nature but includes their ability
to procreate. The ideal for the well being of children is to be
born into a traditional marriage and to be raised by both a
mother and a father. We recognize that there are parents who are
single and we laud them for the great sacrifices they make in
raising their children.
Second, we need to recall that marriage
mirrors God's relationship with us-and that marriage completes,
enriches and perpetuates humanity. When men and women consummate
their marriage they offer themselves to God as co-creators of a
new human being. Any other pairing-while possibly offering
security and companionship to the individuals involved—is not
marriage. We must support traditional marriage as the source of
our civilization, the foundation for a society that can be home
to all human beings, and the reflection of our relationship with
God.
Third, we need to remember that we are all
children of God possessed of human dignity and that each of us
is created in God's image. Protecting the traditional
understanding of marriage should not in any way disparage our
brothers and sisters—even if they disagree with us.
Fourth, we must pray and work for a just
resolution of this issue which is so important to the well being
of the human family.
Fifth, as citizens of California, we need to
avail ourselves of the opportunity to overturn this ruling by
the California Supreme Court. On the November general election
ballot, there will be Proposition 8 which reads: "Only marriage
between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
That language simply affirms the historic, logical and
reasonable definition of marriage—and does not remove any
benefits from other contractual arrangements.
And finally, we strongly encourage
Catholics to provide both the financial support and the
volunteer efforts needed for the passage of Proposition 8.
And—please exercise your citizenship and vote in November.
Would you like to
volunteer?
Visit:
www.catholicsforprotectmarriage.com
Thank you and God bless! |
Key
Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects
Number 1:
The 2008 "Restorative Justice & Detention Ministry
Conference"
Sponsored by the Diocese of
San Diego will be held on Saturday, October 18,
2008, 8:30 a.m to. 1:30 p.m. at the Pastoral Center, Diocese of San
Diego 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA 92117 - lunch will be served
The day will begin with Mass at 8:30 a.m. with Bishop
Cordileone and concelebrating priests. The Mass will be
offered for crime victims, offenders, families and affected
communities.
The Conference
will immediately follow in the Convocation Center.
If
you are a priest, deacon, chaplain or volunteer involved in the
criminal justice system including prison ministry, victim ministry
or other aspects of restorative justice, YOU are invited!
(To the right - Fr. Bruce Orsborn prays with an inmate at
Donovan State Prison during a religious delegation to the prison)
The conference will include prayers, speakers, volunteer
recognition, dialogue and discussion.
Lunch will be served.
Please respond to Deacon Jim Walsh
858-490-8375,
jwalsh@diocese-sdiego.org
Number 2:
Please join us for the opening Mass that will begin
the
 Rosary
Novena to Protect Life and Marriage in the upcoming Election. The
Mass and initial Rosary will be held on Monday, September 8, 2008,
at 6:30 p.m. at St. Ephrem’s Maronite Catholic Church,
750 Medford St, El Cajon, 92020 - Bishop
Salvatore Cordileone will preside
Four public Rosaries will also be held during the novena to give
witness to the protection of life and marriage:
Sunday, Sept 14,
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. along Harbor Dr. near 5th Ave, at the park
across the street from the San Diego Convention Center, before the
ball game
Saturday, Sept 27, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. along
Harbor Dr. near 5th Ave, at the park across the street from the San
Diego Convention Center, before the ball game
Saturday, October 4,
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. with Rosary Procession after the 7:30 a.m.
Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary to nearby abortion center
Saturday, October 11,
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in honor of the 91st anniversary of the
last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, 7340 Miramar Road, at Pyramid
Building Complex, in front of Family Planning Associates
Novena Closing Mass and Rosary
Procession with Bishop Cordileone:
Friday, October 31,
during the Noon Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary, corner of State and
Date Streets, Downtown San Diego. Rosary Procession immediately
following Mass, to the County Administration Building, 1600 Pacific
Highway.
We are pleased to announce that
a special Dedication and Blessing of the Memorial for the Unborn at
St. Ephrem’s Maronite Catholic Church will take place at the Mass to
begin the Novena.
For more information on the Novena or the Blessing of the Memorial,
contact Sue Lopez at 619-276-7525 or e-mail Sue at:
rosarynovena@earthlink.net
Number 3: Save the
date for the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justce's (ICWJ) Voices
for Justice Annual Breakfast on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 7:30
a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, 1441 Quivira
Road in San Diego Come celebrate ICWJ's 10th Anniversary - serving
workers who struggle for dignity and decent wages in Southern
California for ten years!
Voices
for Justice Annual Breakfast- a 10th Anniversary Celebration of the
ICWJ's Work in San Diego
Since 1998, ICWJ has partnered with the community to bring issues of
worker justice into the faith community, and educate the faith
leaders to serve as witness and provide support to distressed
workers who face arduous campaigns, retaliation, and/or hostility
from management. The working poor are too often invisible in our
community.
To celebrate this deep solidarity, the ICWJ Voices for Justice
Breakfast honors leaders from our faith communities who use their
voices to promote justice in San Diego County.
Number 4: The
Office for Social Ministry Voter Aid, "As a Catholic... How Do I
Decide?" (in both English and Spanish) will be published online and
in print in early September
A draft of the English version can be viewed at
www.osmelink.org/vote.
Please do not distribute this draft as
several changes will be made prior to its publication.
A complete and finished version will be available at the same web
address by September 5th.
A limited number of free full-color printed copies will be available
for each parish (250 for small parishes, 500 for medium
parishes, and 750 for large parishes) in mid-September.
The good news is that additional copies can be ordered by parishes
and other Catholic institutions for only 17 cents each. Please
call Kent Peters if you would like to place an order - 858-490-8324.
The deadline for orders is Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at
2:00 p.m.
Short
Reports on OSM Related Issues/Events
Number 1:
A "Yes on Proposition 8"
30-minute conference call for Pastors, their Associates, Deacons,
parish staff,
 and
parish leaders was held on August 21, 2008
The call was designed to update Catholic parishes on the "Yes on 8"
Campaign and encourage volunteer participation.
You can listen to the phone call as an mp3 file at the following web
address or click on the phone above.
http://www.osmelink.org/vote/confcall.mp3
Following is the call agenda:
Opening Prayer, Deacon Daniel Powers –
Director of the Office for Parish Administration,
Diocese
of San Diego
Why Proposition
8?, Maggie Gallagher – President, National Organization for Marriage
Disciplined Message of the Campaign, Frank Schubert – President,
Schubert and Flint
(Consultants to Prop.8)
Making
Catholic Involvement, Work Ned Dolejsi – Executive Director of the
California Catholic
Conference
Voter Registration in the Diocese of San
Diego, Kent Peters – Director, Office for Social Ministry
Report on non-Catholic Clergy Efforts, Rev. James Garlow – Pastor,
Skyline Church, La Mesa, CA
Closing Remarks and
Prayer, Mary Kuper, – Culture of Life Coordinator, Nativity Parish
Number 2: New Voter Registration Packets
were sent to parishes on August 14, 2008 - and now the answer to the
question, "Where can I register to vote?" is simple, "That's easy.
Just visit the parish office."
To the left are the contents of the package:
1) four English and two Spanish voter-registration posters,
2) multiple Voter-Registration forms with one or two holders,
3) laminated instructions for parish staff,
4) bulletin/pulpit announcements, and
5) mini voter-registration half page flyers.
Our diocesan goal is to register every parishioner who is over the
age of 18 and is eligible to vote. Please help by calling the
parish office to offer your assistance in reaching this goal.
Please call the OSM at 858-490-8324 with any questions
you may have.
Number 3: Rachel's Hope's
"Pool Party for Pro-life Workers" a resounding success!
Those that work in pro-life ministries may
 sometimes
appear to be unappreciated for their hard work. Rachel's
Hope offered this party to let all those involved have a good time
and celebrate the wonderful work that they do.
Dale Miron volunteered his time to be the disk jockey, and the group
rocked out with some lively tunes and some from the oldies but
goodies.
A talent show included historical songs of the ages by Marg Morrison
and a humorous song by Marianne Bickhaus who shared her talent
having been a part of "Senior Follies" (a musical by Christian
Community Theater).
Special guests were Bishop Cordileone , Kent Peters, and Luis and
Tricia Mendoza.
Those invited were pro-life sidewalk counselors, pregnancy center
workers, pro-life media workers, culture of life parish
coordinators, those that participate in the life chains and
processions to the abortion clinics, and all that work for the cause
of protecting life.
A donation basket was available to help support Rachel’s Hope ads in
the Reader and Pro-life billboards by St. Therese Community.
Rosemary Benefield - Director of Rachel's Hope Ministry
Number 4:
Hundreds attend Culture of Life Family Services Open House
following Mass with Bishop Cordileone celebrating the Feast of the
Assumption at St. Mary's Parish in Escondido
St. Mary’s Church was filled on August 15, the Solemnity of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for a mass celebrated by
Bishop Cordileone marking the grand opening of COLFS in Escondido.
Mass was followed by a reception and blessing of the new facility at
211 Grape Street.
In his
homily Bishop Cordileone spoke about Mary assumed body and soul into
heaven and noted, “It is not just the soul that continues in
existence in heaven, but the entire person. The body is integral to
our identity… one consequence is our great reverence for life.”
He
said the entire person, body and soul, is the focus of Catholic
ministries. “This is what Culture of Life Family Services is all
about: care for the entire person, respect for the sanctity of
life,” he said.
The
long awaited facility in Escondido will provide women, their babies,
and families with care that is directed to their spiritual,
psychological, and medical needs.
“This
is a moment of grace,” Bishop Cordileone said. “This vale of tears
today becomes a little more like God’s kingdom in heaven thanks to
Culture of Life Family Services…. Praise God for this beautiful
day.”
Directly after the mass, those in attendance proceeded to the new
facility where remarks were given by COLFS executive director Steve
Hicks; board member Ed Maucere; director for the diocesan Office for
Social Ministry, Kent Peters; sidewalk counselor Luis Mendoza; Dr.
George Delgado; and Deacon Ken & Marie Finn. The speeches were
followed by the Bishop’s blessing, and then the facility was open to
tour.
The
building, purchased by anonymous donors, includes a medical office
and counseling center with a chapel for Eucharistic adoration.
Freshly painted and equipped, the new offices are filled with
beautiful reminders of God’s love, from crucifixes, to scripture
painted on the walls. A welcoming life-size statue of Mother Teresa
stands in the waiting room; Those who walk in cannot help knowing
right away that God is at work here and He loves them.
 “Everyone
will be treated at COLFS no matter what their financial situation
is,” said Board Member Ed Maucere. “COLFS’ primary goal is
spiritual; the Catholic faith must be and can be instilled here.”
Director for the diocesan Office for Social Ministry, Kent Peters,
said the sidewalk counselors who pray and speak to women outside
abortion clinics do an amazing job, “but if there wasn’t Culture of
Life Family Services that very minute with its doors open and ready
to serve, those women might leave and come back (to the abortion
clinics).”
COLFS
provides support for those reached by the sidewalk counselors; it
can also connect women and their families with crisis pregnancy
centers in their own cities.
“Then
things like diapers and training on parenting happen,” Peters said.
“There is a continuum of service and the Holy Spirit is directing it
all.”
COLFS
medical director Dr. Delgado introduced Dr. Karen Saroki who will
soon be
 working
with him.
“The
family is an icon of the mystical body of Christ and an icon of the
Trinity,” Delgado said. “I want to thank all the young women and
girls who have been in crisis pregnancies, all the patients who
really have trusted their care to us and have trusted us as we’ve
tried to guide them along the path of life and the path of truth. It
really is a special privilege to be a part of their lives and their
journeys.”
Deacon
Ken Finn said, “It’s about Jesus Christ .… He’s going to say, ‘I
will take this clinic and I will make it dynamic because of your
faithfulness.’”
Web and
e-mail-based Resources
The Population Research Institute (PRI) has long followed the
barbaric
 practice
of sex selective abortion that occurs around the world. PRI has
discovered that the practice always leads to the elimination of
female unborn children. PRI is now researching this
barbaric practice in our own country. What you'll discover in the
following video might lead you to ask, "Whatever happened to women's
rights? Who fights for women today in the USA?"
http://www.youtube.com/colinpri1
Founded in 1989, Population Research Institute is a non-profit
research and educational organization dedicated to objectively
presenting the truth about population-related issues, and to
reversing the trends brought about by the myth of overpopulation.
Our growing, global network of pro-life groups spans over 30
countries.
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
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,
September 10, 2008, at 6:00 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 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive, San
Diego, 92117
For the month of September...
Information and Training Seminars are scheduled for: Tuesday,
September 9, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and Thursday, September
18, 2008, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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
7:00 a.m. to 10:00 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 (Clinica Medica is seeking a new location -
more on this later)
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 and
prayer partners - training will be provided (Clinica Medica
is seeking a new location - more on this later)
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: 619-733-8439
Watch for OSM e-link bulletin
#71 around Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Article/Statement for August 26, 2008
On the 40th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae
By Bishop Thomas G. Wenski
This past July 25th marked the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s
controversial and still little heeded encyclical, Humanae Vitae (On
the Regulation of Birth). Many both within and without the Church –
heady from the many changes initiated by the Second Vatican Council
– fully expected that the Church would change her clear and constant
teachings on human sexuality and procreation. Proponents of change
then argued that the development of the contraceptive pill made such
change in teaching not only possible but imperative.
However, Pope Paul VI (advised closely by the then Cardinal Wojtyla)
realized that while much in the Church was rightly changeable (for
example, liturgical rites and languages had changed often in the
Church’s two thousand year history) no one – even the Pope – could
change the received teachings of the Church in matters of faith and
morals.
In Humanae Vitae, giving an ecclesiastical example of a profile in
courage, Paul VI reaffirmed the immorality of recourse to artificial
means of birth regulation. While Pope Paul VI and the Catholic
Church practically stood alone in reaffirmation that the procreative
and unitive ends of the conjugal act could not morally be
arbitrarily separated, it is important to remember that up until the
early 20th century this was also the constant teaching of all other
Christian ecclesial bodies – Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant.
Of course, the Church is not against sexual pleasure as some of her
opponents allege; but, more importantly, we are for the happiness of
the human person. The fostering of that happiness requires
understanding the gift of our sexuality as God has intended it.
Sex, in God’s plan, is more than just a “recreational activity”. As
Catholic feminist and philosopher, Janet Smith says: “…sex is for
babies and bonding. If people are not ready for babies and bonding,
they ought not to be engaging in acts of sexual intercourse.” And
what are nuptials but the public expression of a couple’s readiness
to do just that?
A careful rereading of Humanae Vitae – especially in the light of
the “sexual revolution” unleashed in society over the past 40 years
–can help us appreciate how prescient the Pope was in his warnings
of the dire consequences that a “contraceptive mentality” would have
on society. The numbers of unwanted pregnancies and abortions did
not decrease with the widespread acceptance of contraception – they
increased. And the “pill” far from freeing women from male
domination made them more likely to be victims of sexual
exploitation by men. The break up of families and the epidemic of
divorce in our culture, the increasingly high incidence of women
bearing children out of wedlock, the flight from adult
responsibility and the extended “adolescence” of men, all point to –
in hindsight –the rightness of Paul VI’s and the Church’s teaching
on human sexuality.
The Church condemns artificial contraception not just because of its
bad consequences. She condemns artificial contraception because it
is intrinsically evil (and because it is evil it has bad
consequences). Contraception is evil because it violates the very
purpose and nature of the sexual act – and in doing so violates the
dignity of the human person.
Pope John Paul II reaffirmed Humane Vitae throughout his
pontificate. His “Theology of the Body” has sought to represent the
perennial teachings of Church on human sexuality in an idiom more
accessible to our contemporaries. The sexual act, he teaches,
implies self-giving, a self giving denied in the very act of
contraception. One’s “body language” should mean as much as one’s
words do. Happiness and human flourishing cannot be built on
insincere language or lies. Contraception – like pre-marital or
extra-marital sex - is a lie because it denies the unconditional
“yes” of one to another implied in the very act of love making.
Bishop Thomas Wenski, Bishop of the Diocese of Orlando, is Chairman
of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace.
Reprinted with permission from The Florida Catholic. |
