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.

Monday, June 10, 2019

Pray for Life: Freedom to Protect Life

PRAY FOR LIFE

JUNE 2019

Intercession

We pray for the freedom to live out our faith through respect for human life.

Prayers

Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be

Reflection

In recent years, religious freedom has been increasingly threatened, endangering our ability to live out our Faith in ways such as protecting and defending human life. Health care legislation has repeatedly tried to mandate abortion and contraceptive coverage in insurance plans and force Catholic hospitals to provide abortion. Health care professionals have been the victims of discrimination for refusing to participate in or refer for abortion. Most disturbing, nurses have reported being forced to participate in abortion procedures, directly violating their deeply held religious beliefs. As Catholics, we know that every human life is created in the image and likeness of God. Let us pray for the protection of religious freedom in our nation, that we may continue our pro-life efforts in accord with the Gospel of Life.

Acts of Reparation (Choose one.)

Learn the stories ofSt. John Fisher and St. Thomas More. See why these two faithful men are regarded as the patrons of religious freedom, and seek their intercession.

Join in prayer and sacrifice with other Catholics during Religious Freedom Week, June 22 – June 29. Consider making a small sacrifice each day for the intention of preserving religious freedom

Offer some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for this month’s intention.

One Step Further

Health care professionals should never be forced to violate their deeply held religious beliefs. Learn how the Conscience Protection Act, if enacted in law, would protect the religious freedom of doctors and nurses in two briefvideos.

Did You Know?

The Second Vatican Council declared that religious liberty is a human right for all people. See the multiple papal encyclicals that teach why this first freedom must be protected under law.

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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.”