DEACON FOR LIFE

Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.

Friday, July 20, 2007

FROM FIDES NEWS:

AMERICA/ARGENTINA - Archbishop of Rosario calls for pro-life network: “Everyone can join this mission because commitment pro-life is not only for believers, it is for everyone"

Rosario (Agenzia Fides) - The Archbishop of Rosario in Argentina, Archbishop. José Luis Mollaghan, in a recent pastoral letter expressed concern for cultural changes today including “an unexplainable change with regard to respect for human life." Certain options - the Archbishop writes - which in the past were rejected unanimously by ethics and moral sense, have gradually become socially acceptable and it would seem ever more difficult to distinguish good from bad and in particular in relation to the value of life. The Archbishop also calls for respect for the life of the unborn child underlining that this respect "is not based on religious prejudice of a sector of the population as it has been said; nor does it wish to undervalue the rights of women; it simply calls attention to the unborn child whom some wish to kill."

Deeply concerned the Archbishop recently at a meeting with leaders of Family Movements and Associations, pro-life teams, doctors and hospital pastoral workers in his archdiocese the said "it is more than ever necessary for us to work effectively to assist women who are alone without support or solidarity; we must help these mothers to see that abortion is never a solution". The Archbishop suggested that Catholic associations, should work with other Christians and men and women of good will to "form a pro-life network to encourage future mothers in difficult situations to welcome and have their children". Archbishop Mollaghan asks priests to take part in this important mission, teaching respect for life and spreading the gospel of life through preaching, catechesis and pastoral work with married couples and families.

The Archbishop concluded "I wish to see a united effort to protect life which implicates assistance for new born babies and their mothers, especially those in need. We can all take part in this mission, Christians, other believers, knowing that commitment for life is not only for believers it is for everyone".

(RG) (Agenzia Fides 19/7/2007; righe 28, parole 425)

Links:
See letter in Spanish
http://www.fides.org/spa/documents/una_red_por_la_vida.doc

LIFE IS SACRED

An example of the traditional magisterial teaching which indicates that it is never morally licit to intentionally kill a child through abortion in order to “save the life of its mother” comes from the teaching of Pope Pius XII:

“Every human being, even the infant in the mother's womb, has the right to life immediately from God, not from the parent or any human society or authority. Therefore, there is no man, no human authority, no science, no medical, eugenic, social, economic or moral ‘indication’ that can show or give valid juridical title for direct deliberate disposition concerning an innocent human life-which is to say, a disposition that aims at its destruction either as an end in itself or as the means of attaining another end that is perhaps in no way illicit itself. Thus, for example, to save the life of the mother is a most noble end, but the direct killing of the child as a means to this end is not licit.”