Dear Friends,

This month of October is usually known as Respect Life Month in our Catholic Church. And so, in this article, I am going to ask all of you to do everything in your power to respect life. One way I am asking you to do this is by voting NO to Proposition 139, as the Bishops are asking us to do. This is because, as you know by now, this proposition opens the door to enshrining a constitutional right to abortion in Arizona, including even removing safeguards for girls and women currently in place at abortion clinics.

Also, remember that this month of October is not only meant to remind us of the evils of abortion but also to call us as a Church to participate in acts of penance in observance of the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision on Roe vs. Wade which made abortion legal in the United States. This is because, since then to date, nationally, more than 63 million babies have been aborted. In Arizona alone, this past year, over 13 million babies were aborted.

This is how grave the situation is and may only get worse if this legislation passes. As we do our part to stop it by voting NO, let us at the same time continue to ask God’s forgiveness for the violations to the dignity of the human person through the horrific acts of abortion. The little white crosses you see hanging on our pergola during this time are our way of reminding us, as stewards, of the horrors of abortion, as each little cross represents babies lost to abortion. They are meant to call us to action.

As we participate in activities that promote respect for human life this month, we, therefore, know that our actions fulfill the greatest challenge of the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which includes respecting the unborn helpless “neighbor” in the womb. So, let us resolve:

• To protect and defend the life of the unborn child from the moment of conception, the moment when that child’s unique genetic code is established, the moment when that child receives from God an immortal soul:
• To extend pastoral care and God’s mercy and forgiveness to those who have participated in the sin of abortion, assuring them that there is no sin so grievous that the Lord cannot or will not forgive.
• To cherish the life of a person with a disability, one must recognize that within each person, one can discern the genius and love of the Creator.
• To provide palliative and spiritual care to the person who is dying, patiently honoring that person’s dignity through the hour of death, whenever it might come.
• To defend not only innocent human lives but also those of the guilty. Saint John Paul II reminded us that when non-lethal means are available to protect society from a violent criminal, the life of that criminal should be spared as a prophetic witness to the God-given dignity of every human person. If the life of the guilty person is protected by law, then how much more should the life of the innocent person in the womb be held as inviolable?

Our Savior commands us to respect human life from the moment of conception until natural death. This is why our Church will never stop reminding us of our sacred duty to be, in every possible way, unambiguously pro-life. Join me, therefore, during this month in doing everything possible to foster respect for life. Let us begin by voting NO to Proposition 139.

I love you!

BACK TO LIST BACK