*If the Embryo is Human, It is a Person

by Hilary White

ROME, November 13, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – If an embryo is human, it is a person – this is the golden rule for bioethics if it wants to uphold the full dignity of the human person, said the secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on Tuesday.

The “concept of person” and its application to all human beings at every stage of their development is the key to understanding the Catholic teachings on the life issues Archbishop Luis Ladaria told a conference in Rome.

Archbishop Ladaria was speaking to an audience of students at a conference sponsored by the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas, on the document, ”Dignitas Personae” (“The Dignity of the Person”), an instruction from the CDF published in 2008 on “certain bioethical questions.” These included developments in artificial reproductive technologies, such as genetic manipulation of embryos and cloning. Ladaria noted that when US President Barack Obama was visiting Rome, he was presented with a copy of the document by Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Benedict, while Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and Prefect of the CDF, was responsible for the 1987 publication of the landmark document Donum Vitae, upon which Dignitas Personae was based. The much-ignored “Donum Vitae” (“The Gift of Life”), laid down the Church’s teaching on the moral inadmissability of nearly all artificial reproductive technologies currently in use around the world.

Both documents emphasize that the fundamental moral objection to such practices as genetic manipulation, artificial insemination, cloning and in vitro fertilization is that they invariably result in the deaths of innumerable human beings at the embryonic stage and that they deny the fundamental right of the child to be conceived and nurtured naturally in the context of marriage.

Archbishop Ladaria spoke of the “new approach” the document presents for bioethicists based on the nature of the human person and the special relationship of man to God who was incarnate in Jesus Christ.

Human beings cooperate with God when they reproduce, he said.  “Procreation is a special cooperation. Only in human love, which is a reflection of divine love, in mutual donation, is found the context for cooperation with the love of God the creator.”

This teaching, Ladaria said, holds that human dignity is “not granted” by human agency, but “is recognized as a previous fact.”

The Church’s teaching is based on the now-scientifically proved fact that human life begins in its entirety at the moment of conception. The basic rule for ethicists, he said, is, “If it is a human, it is always a person.” This includes the zygote, the single-cell product of the union of ovum and sperm.

From the first moment, he said, the embryo “has a full anthropological qualification; there is a continuity; there are no leaps that have in them substantial mutations; the embryonic body develops. One can see the decisive reason to accept the very dignity of the person.”

—

See Dignitas Personae helps Catholics form their consciences

*What does it mean to be a Catholic?

Bishop Tobin to Congressman Patrick Kennedy: ‘What does it mean to be a Catholic?’
by Deacon Keith Fournier
Catholic Online

Among those Catholics in public life who openly defy the clear teaching of the Catholic Church concerning the inviolable dignity of every human life from conception to natural death is Representative Patrick Kennedy. The son of the late Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy, he represents Rhode Island’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. The Congressman was to have had a meeting with his Bishop Thomas J. Tobin concerning his very public defiance on this matter, but that meeting has now been postponed at Kennedy’s request.

We bring to our readers the full text of a letter which Congressman Kennedy received from his Bishop, Thomas J. Tobin. This letter was in response to Kennedy’s public defiance against the truth revealed in the Natural Law, confirmed by science, affirmed in Scripture and the Tradition and taught infallibly by theMagisterium (teaching office) of the Catholic Church concerning the fundamental Human Right to Life. This matter recently surfaced when Kennedy publicly contended with the Church over the US Bishops’ heroic insistence that the proposed “Health Care Reform” which recently cleared the House not provide funding for abortion.

It passed only after the Pro-Life Amendment named after a faithful Catholic Democrat, Bart Stupak, corrected the lethal nature of its impact on our youngest neighbors in the womb. Kennedy and other Catholics such as Speaker Pelosi had simply lied when they said the legislation, prior to this essential Amendment, would not have had the effect of funding the killing of children in the womb with our tax dollars. The battle on this front is far from over.

As Catholics called to stand in solidarity with all the poor, including those whom Mother Teresa called the “poorest of the poor”, our youngest neighbors, we have had to contend with the lies of these Catholics for far too long. Patrick Kennedy is only one of too many. Kennedy told reporters on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 that he has postponed the meeting with his Bishop. He indicated he finds it “very disconcerting” that Bishop Tobin will not keep the content of their discussion “private”. This is, of course, one of the great subterfuges used by Catholics like Congressman Kennedy and others who openly defy the Church, cause scandal and confuse many in their perfidy.

What is different in this instance is the clear, courageous and commendable response of his Bishop, Thomas J. Tobin. He is using this as an opportunity to not only assist the Congressman by exposing his dangerous error and thereby assisting him to embrace the truth, but he is using it as an opportunity to stop this subterfuge before it continues to lead others astray. He published his letter to the Congressman in the ”Rhode Island Catholic” in his regular column entitled “Without a Doubt” which can be found on the website of the“Rhode Island Catholic” .

******

WITHOUT A DOUBT

BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN

Dear Congressman Kennedy:

“The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” (Congressman Patrick Kenned)

Since our recent correspondence has been rather public, I hope you don’t mind if I share a few reflections about your practice of the faith in this public forum. I usually wouldn’t do that – that is speak about someone’s faith in a public setting – but in our well-documented exchange of letters about health care and abortion, it has emerged as an issue. I also share these words publicly with the thought that they might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.

For the moment I’d like to set aside the discussion of health care reform, as important and relevant as it is, and focus on one statement contained in your letter of October 29, 2009, in which you write, “The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” That sentence certainly caught my attention and deserves a public response, lest it go unchallenged and lead others to believe it’s true. And it raises an important question: What does it mean to be a Catholic?

“The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.”

Well, in fact, Congressman, in a way it does. Although I wouldn’t choose those particular words, when someone rejects the teachings of the Church, especially on a grave matter, a life-and-death issue like abortion, it certainly does diminish their ecclesial communion, their unity with the Church. This principle is based on the Sacred Scripture and Tradition of the Church and is made more explicit in recent documents.

For example, the “Code of Canon Law” says, “Lay persons are bound by an obligation and possess the right to acquire a knowledge of  Christian doctrine adapted to their capacity and condition so that they can live in accord with that doctrine.” (Canon 229, #1)

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” says this: “Mindful of Christ’s words to his apostles, ‘He who hears you, hears me,’ the faithful receive with docility the teaching and directives that their pastors give them in different forms.” (#87)

Or consider this statement of the Church: “It would be a mistake to confuse the proper autonomy exercised by Catholics in political life with the claim of a principle that prescinds from the moral and social teaching of the Church.” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2002)

There’s lots of canonical and theological verbiage there, Congressman, but what it means is that if you don’t accept the teachings of the Church your communion with the Church is flawed, or in your own words, makes you “less of a Catholic.”

But let’s get down to a more practical question; let’s approach it this way: What does it mean, really, to be a Catholic? After all, being a Catholic has to mean something, right?

Well, in simple terms – and here I refer only to those more visible, structural elements of Church membership – being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals; that you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish; that you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly; that you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially.

Congressman, I’m not sure whether or not you fulfill the basic requirements of being a Catholic, so let me ask: Do you accept the teachings of the Church on essential matters of faith and morals, including our stance on abortion? Do you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish? Do you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly? Do you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially?

In your letter you say that you “embrace your faith.” Terrific. But if you don’t fulfill the basic requirements of membership, what is it exactly that makes you a Catholic? Your baptism as an infant? Your family ties? Your cultural heritage?

Your letter also says that your faith “acknowledges the existence of an imperfect humanity.” Absolutely true. But in confronting your rejection of the Church’s teaching, we’re not dealing just with “an imperfect humanity” – as we do when we wrestle with sins such as anger, pride, greed, impurity or dishonesty. We all struggle with those things, and often fail.

Your rejection of the Church’s teaching on abortion falls into a different category – it’s a deliberate and obstinate act of the will; a conscious decision that you’ve re-affirmed on many occasions. Sorry, you can’t chalk it up to an “imperfect humanity.” Your position is unacceptable to the Church and scandalous to many of our members. It absolutely diminishes your communion with the Church.

Congressman Kennedy, I write these words not to embarrass you or to judge the state of your conscience or soul. That’s ultimately between you and God. But your description of your relationship with the Church is now a matter of public record, and it needs to be challenged. I invite you, as your bishop and brother in Christ, to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion and repentance.

It’s not too late for you to repair your relationship with the Church, redeem your public image, and emerge as an authentic “profile in courage,” especially by defending the sanctity of human life for all people, including unborn children. And if I can ever be of assistance as you travel the road of faith, I would be honored and happy to do so.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas J. Tobin

Bishop of Providence

******

We thank Bishop Thomas Tobin for his clarity, courage and the genuine pastoral concern shown toward Congressman Kennedy. We also thank the Bishop for his uncompromising defense of those whose lives are threatened by the continued rebellion of too many Catholics in public life who openly reject the truth,confusing many in the process and causing serious scandal.

We ask our readers to pray that Congressman Kennedy would prayerfully receive this loving and needed correction and then reschedule his meeting with this good Shepherd. We also ask our readers to increase their prayer for all of our Bishops as they continue to contend for the truth about life and pastor the flock of God entrusted to them.

******

Also see: Being Catholic

*UN Petition for the Unborn Child – Your Name is Needed

By Austin Ruse

 (C-FAM)  An international coalition of pro-life and pro-family groups has re-launched a petition that is expected to gather one million signatures in support of the unborn child and the traditional family.  

     Groups from the United States, Poland, Spain and other European counties launched the petition last fall and at that time gathered nearly 500,000 signatures, which were presented to selected Ambassadors at the United Nations (UN) and at a UN press conference that was broadcast throughout UN headquarters. The groups included C-FAM [publisher of the Friday Fax], Concerned Women for America, United Families International, all from  the United States, along with the Polish Federation of Pro-life Groups and the Spanish Institute for Family Policy. A prominent parliamentarian from Honduras also participated in the press conference.

     The purpose of the petition is to persuade UN Member States to begin interpreting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting the unborn child from abortion and also to recognize traditional marriage and the right of parents to educate their children.

     Organizers launched the petition partially in reaction to efforts by pro-abortion groups last year to use the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration to promote a right to abortion.  

     The pro-life petition, which can be signed at www.c-fam.org/campaigns/lid.2/default.asp in one of 19 languages, specifically references portions of the Universal Declaration that can be interpreted by States in pro-life and pro-family ways.  For instance, the Universal Declaration says, “Everyone has the right to life.” Though it is not clear that the drafters meant to include the unborn child in this formulation, States may interpret the document this way.

     The Universal Declaration also says, “Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family.”  In recent years social radicals have pushed the UN to call for an international right for homosexuals to marry. Social conservatives point out this is in direct opposition to the intention of the drafters of the aspirational Universal Declaration and its binding implementing covenants promulgated in 1966.

     Family-rights proponents also highlight the Universal Declaration’s recognition that “Parents have the prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” There is a push in the West to allow homosexual propaganda in schools even against the wishes of parents. This would be in violation of the Universal Declaration.

     Additionally, the petition cites the Universal Declaration where it says “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection from society and the State.” In recent years efforts have been made to undermine the natural family by redefining it to include homosexual couples, efforts that have been repeatedly defeated in the UN General Assembly.

     Organizers were also inspired by efforts of the Catholic St. Egidio Community of Rome who gathered one million signatures calling for a moratorium on the death penalty that resulted in a successful UN resolution calling for a ban on executions.

     European Union Parliamentarians Anna Zaborska of Slovakia and Carlo Casini of Italy led similar efforts to the UN pro-life petition in Europe. Their petitions were presented to the European Parliament last year.

*Left, Center, Right or Top?

By Fredi D’Alessio

This article first appeared on TCRNews.com and also in Catholic San Francisco in 2003 as View from the Top. Since it as relevant today as then and today is the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, I have decided to bring it to the forefront this day.

If you scored Republican … You’ve now proved you’re a true-blooded American who not only understands that there is a right and a wrong, but has the brains to know the difference between the two.” So says Adam Sparks in his article ‘Arnold’s Quiz To Determine Political Affiliation VIEW FROM THE RIGHT’ (SFGate.com 10/27/03).

The quiz instructs you to score one point as a Democrat or a Republican each time you align yourself with one party or the other on the following issues: Taxes, Regulation, Environmentalism, Media Bias, Trade Policy, Fighting Tyranny, Affirmative Action, Education, Sexual Abuse, Purpose of Government, The Problem with the World Is Us (U.S.), Immigration, Crime and Punishment, Corporations and Unions, Families.

The problem is that neither party demonstrates that it “not only understands that there is a right and a wrong, but has the brains to know the difference between the two”. Or is it that they do understand that there is a right and a wrong, but their selfish, superficial and shortsighted ideologies inhibit their ability to know the difference between the two?

Either way, something vital is lacking in the political arena. And not just at a Party level, but also at a personal level. It is my opinion that there is an absence of knowledge of God’s perspective or even an awareness or concern that He has one. Despite all the rhetoric we hear about “In God we trust”, nothing is more apparent than the fact that we do not trust in God. If we did, we wouldn’t continually disregard His Statutes and try to usurp His Throne. It should be of no surprise that the aforementioned void has been filled with injustice and immorality.

We should not be viewing the world from the Left, Center or Right. It is imperative that we view it from the Top – from the perspective of its Creator. We can only do that with eyes of love. Firstly, love of our Creator and secondly, love of all his creatures. We must also acknowledge that we do not own what He has created. In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race. Although, mankind is called to respect both the universal destination of goods and the right to private property, the right to private property does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind. Further, we must acknowledge that God loves everyone equally. If we are to love them as well, we must not only share their joys, but also their sorrows.

As the antidote to selfish, superficial and shortsighted ideologies, I present the following reflection by Pope John Paul II on praying the Rosary:

The Rosary is also a prayer for peace because of the fruits of charity which it produces. When prayed well in a truly meditative way, the Rosary leads to an encounter with Christ in his mysteries and so cannot fail to draw attention to the face of Christ in others, especially in the most afflicted.

How could one possibly contemplate the mystery of the Child of Bethlehem, in the joyful mysteries, without experiencing the desire to welcome, defend and promote life, and to shoulder the burdens of suffering children all over the world?
How could one possibly follow in the footsteps of Christ the Revealer, in the mysteries of light, without resolving to bear witness to His Beatitudes in daily life?

And how could one contemplate Christ carrying the Cross and Christ Crucified, without feeling the need to act as a Simon of Cyrene for our brothers and sisters weighed down by grief or crushed by despair?

Finally, how could one possibly gaze upon the glory of the Risen Christ or of Mary Queen of Heaven, without yearning to make this world more beautiful, more just, more closely conformed to God’s plan?”

The Holy Father has succinctly presented us with the domestic and foreign policy we are called by God to embrace. Whatever one’s religion, if we believe that God is the giver of life, we must ascend the Holy Mountain, view the world from the top, shout from it “In God we trust”, and descend from it filled with Wisdom and Love.

I personally am not a Democrat or a Republican. I am an American. One who believes that we are not called to possess great things, but to be a great people. That should be our intention when we say “God bless America”.

*The Millennium Development Goals: In Light of Catholic Social Teaching

By D. Brian Scarnecchia, JD
and Terrence McKeegan, JD

Must read. Click here.

Also see United Nations Abortion.

*The Passing of a Real Hero – Robert Schindler

by Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer, President, Human Life International

Today the pro-life movement mourns the loss of Mr. Robert Schindler, Sr., the father of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, whose fight for life captured the heart of the pro-life community in 2005. Mr. Schindler is being buried in Philadelphia today without the fanfare or accolades that are due a real champion who fought one of the most insidious evils of modern society – the legalized murder of the innocent. His funeral will not be televised on all the cable news networks, no cardinals will attend it, and the President of the United States will not deliver the eulogy – thank God. Mr. Schindler, however, is promised a better send-off than that. God Himself will him speak to him words spoken to all the suffering righteous: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.”

It is hard not to notice the contrast between the funerals of Senator Edward Kennedy and Bob Schindler. The secular, brash and privileged “Lion of the Senate” had everything that the world had to offer, including comprehensive political protection from his Waterloo; the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969. He walked away from that one scot-free, and the country ever after that conveniently pretended it didn’t happen because no one would want to tarnish the image of a famous political family. Americans find it just too messy to honestly address casual killing. Ted Kennedy went on to continue his murderous rampage in his political career through his contemptible advocacy of legalized killing through abortion and the farcical defense of Roe by vetoing potential Supreme Court judges who might have rectified that terrible injustice in our country. Among the many sins he will have to account for before the Throne of Grace, his criminally buffoonish and cowardly causing of Mary Jo Kopechne’s death and its subsequent cover-up were perhaps the least. Ted Kennedy had a lot of innocent blood on his hands as he went to his judgment, as do all people who advocate or stand aside in silence at the destruction of the innocents.

Bob Schindler, in contrast, was not endowed with the privileges of wealth and social status, nor the political machine that could protect his back side in times of trouble. His family was ravaged by aggressive euthanasia activist lawyers who decided that his daughter was just not worthy of life because she was brain-damaged. He had to fight the son-in-law from hell who, despite a father’s unconditional offer to care for his own daughter, rammed the euthanasia agenda home viciously, even triumphantly. Bob had to endure the agony of three separate court-ordered starvations of his daughter, the third of which took her life in a brutal act of gloating evil that many compared to the Passion of Christ. Bob was the faithful father standing at the foot of the Cross and his vigils took place without the companionship of any cardinal or bishop there to rally the saints in defense of his daughter. His greatest sorrow was indeed that the very leadership of his Church, like the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane, should have abandoned his family in their hour of need. Indeed, his local bishop somehow found more pressing needs in Asia and was AWOL in defense of Terri the week she was murdered. But despite the failings of the men who are given earthly powers to guide the Church, God never abandons his children. Bob was always in the company of the very best, sent from Heaven, and it is our firm belief that the angels are welcoming him home today as he meets the glory of God and at long last, is reunited with the daughter he loves so much.

No one deserves the kind of treatment meted out to him and his family, but Bob did not take it sitting down. He stood up and fought long and hard for what was right and showed us how to persevere in all our bitter battles. His heroism was humble and virtuous; despite opposition from all sides, despite being abandoned by churchmen, despite the slander his family endured, he held himself up and never faltered. He never “ran from the scene” as Kennedy did at Chappaquiddick; he stood his ground and faced the battle and then he did not let the story end there. If there was anyone whose suffering gave him a right to bitterly blame others and withdraw from the rest of the world’s problems, it was Bob Schindler. But he did not go that route. He was too much of a man of faith for that. Rather, he and his family set up the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation to assist all others who have are increasingly thrust into that same fight and need someone who has “been there” to stand against the powerful perpetrators of crimes against humanity who sit in our political culture arrogating to themselves the power of life and death, a power that has not been given to them.

Since Terri’s Fight in 2005 I have had the supreme privilege of standing next to Bob and the Schindler family on the front lines in the battle against the culture of death and its champions; but I know a real champion when I see one. Bob Schindler certainly paid a martyr’s price for his fidelity to the enduring values of faith and family and was a hero in every sense of the word. I will miss him! Indeed, we all will miss him, but we know that his spirit lives on in all those who patiently suffer injustice and in those who fight for life against the lions who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Read Calvary in Pinellas Park by Fredi D’Alessio

*Gabriel Project: Gabriel’s Angels Show God’s Love to Pregnant Women in Distress

by Randy Sly  Catholic Online 9/4/2009

The Gabriel Project continues to mobilize parishes around the Nation to assist mothers during pregnancy.
 

“You’ve got a friend!” is more than a song, it is a ministry.

Women, who are pregnant and in need of help, are getting that message in many places across the U.S. thanks to an apostolate begun by two Texas Catholics.

The Gabriel Project enlists parishes to spread the word by signs, brochures and car decals with a hotline number that they are ready and willing to help a woman with spiritual, material and emotional support during and after her pregnancy.

When a Gabriel Project volunteer gets a call, a referral is given to the project coordinator from a parish closest to the location of the woman who calls. The coordinator then assigns a trained mentor, one of “Gabriel’s Angels,” who will maintain ongoing contact.

The parish can get involved in a variety of ways, showing the unconditional love of Christ in the process.

The Gabriel Project was begun by Cathy McConn from Houston and her friend, Rex Moses from Corpus Christi, in 1990. They saw a sign erected by the Rev. Msgr. John Perusina outside the rectory of St. Michael’s Church on Sage Road, Houston. It read, “If you will have your baby, this parish will help you in every way.”

They realized this could be a message embraced by every Catholic parish. Soon the Gabriel Project enlisted Churches throughout the Dioceses of Galveston-Houston and Corpus Christi. Today, the Gabriel Project is present in 16 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.

Participating parishes put a “Life Sign” on their property with text similar to the following: “Gabriel Project – PREGNANT? NEED HELP? We, the members of this church community, see in the birth of each baby a fresh expression of God’s unfailing love. For the love of God and each and every one of His children, we offer immediate and practical help to any woman.”

On August 24, The Gabriel Project received a strong endorsement from Archbishop George Niederauer of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The Archbishop was a strong proponent of Proposition 8 last year and has always been a champion of the social teachings of the Church, especially with regard to life.

In a letter to his pastors and parochial vicars, the Archbishop noted, “The USCCB’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities notes that one of the objectives of a parish pro-life committee should be to ‘develop or adopt a parish-based ministry to pregnant women and their children.’ The Gabriel Project answers this call. It embodies the practical support that the bishops promise pregnant women.”

Adding action to their affirmation, the Archdiocese will be hosting a conference on September 12 in order to train parishioners throughout Northern California on ministering to pregnant women in distress.

In a blog article about The Gabriel Project, Fredi D’Alessio underscored that the ministry fulfills the heart of the bishops not only with regard to life but also the care of women who choose life.

He wrote, “On November 12, 2002, the thirtieth anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a statement in which they asserted: ‘Our firm conviction as Catholics that life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception has been a part of the Church’s constant witness since the Apostolic age and has inspired millions to defend human life at every stage.’

“In this same statement the bishops said, ‘We renew our offer of assistance to anyone considering abortion: If you are overwhelmed by the decisions you face, if you cannot afford medical care, if you are homeless or feel helpless, whatever your needs, we will help you. The Church and her ministries, inspired by the word and example of Jesus Christ, will help you with compassion and without condemnation.’

“In the USCCB’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, the bishops stated: “Respect for human life compels us to reach out to those with special needs. With the support of the faith community, Catholic organizations and agencies provide pastoral services and care for pregnant women, especially those who are vulnerable to abortion and who would otherwise find it difficult or impossible to obtain high-quality medical care.’”

Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online. He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

——

Learn more about The Gabriel Project:

• Read YOU CAN BE AN ANGEL.
• For how to implement it your area click here or/and call Cathy McConn at 713-741-8729.
• Read The Gabriel Project: Interview with Cathy McConn.
• Listen to an interview with Cathy McConn on Immaculate Heart Radio (8/21/2009).

*THE GABRIEL PROJECT

YOU CAN BE AN ANGEL

AND YOUR PARISH CAN BE A HOST OF ANGELS

Through The Gabriel Project, parishes embrace each pregnant woman who comes to them as their daughter, sister, and friend. Using signs, pamphlets, car decals and a toll free hotline, we make it known that help is available. When a woman calls for help, the phone-line volunteer contacts The Gabriel Project Coordinator, who is a parishioner of the Church closest to where she lives. A trained mentor, one of the parish’s Gabriel Angels, is assigned responsibility for ongoing contact with the mother throughout her pregnancy and somewhat beyond. The parish community assists with unconditional love. Through them, mothers receive the spiritual, material and emotional support needed during pregnancy.

Parishes often seek out ways to make themselves visible to the community and to be recognized as caring Christians who not only pray for their neighbors, but also extend them a loving and helping hand. The Gabriel Project is a marvelous way to show the community that your parish cares about pregnant women in need and that there is no reason for any mother within its boundaries to contemplate abortion.

History:

Following the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973 which made abortion legally permissible in all the States, the Rev. Msgr. John Perusina, late pastor of St. Michael Parish on Sage Road, Houston, put a sign outside the rectory which said: If you will have your baby, this parish will help you in every way.

That was the beginning of The Gabriel Project. In 1990, Cathy McConn from Houston and her friend, Rex Moses from Corpus Christi, saw the sign, and The Gabriel Project was developed throughout the Galveston-Houston and the Corpus Christi dioceses. It has since spread throughout the country.

On November 12, 2002, the thirtieth anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a statement in which they asserted: “Our firm conviction as Catholics that life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception has been a part of the Church’s constant witness since the Apostolic age and has inspired millions to defend human life at every stage.”

In this same statement the bishops said, “We renew our offer of assistance to anyone considering abortion: If you are overwhelmed by the decisions you face, if you cannot afford medical care, if you are homeless or feel helpless, whatever your needs, we will help you. The Church and her ministries, inspired by the word and example of Jesus Christ, will help you with compassion and without condemnation.”

In the USCCB’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, the bishops stated: “Respect for human life compels us to reach out to those with special needs. With the support of the faith community, Catholic organizations and agencies provide pastoral services and care for pregnant women, especially those who are vulnerable to abortion and who would otherwise find it difficult or impossible to obtain high-quality medical care.”

After listing a number of programs, the bishops noted that “Parishes are also increasingly providing pregnancy assistance. Such services are sometimes available within the parish; at other times, the parish program links those needing help to local services. Even when pregnancies do not involve particular challenges, encouragement and support should be given to couples who have conceived a child. In a culture that often gives negative messages regarding parenthood, it is important that our parishes celebrate the gift of new life.” They also noted that one of the objectives of the “parish pro-life committee” should be to “develop or adopt, where feasible, a parish-based ministry to pregnant women and their children.”

In the USSCB document, A People of Life and a People for Life: An Invitation, The Gabriel Project is listed among a number of sugessted programs: “Begin a parish-based ministry to pregnant women and their children. The Gabriel Project, developed in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, is excellent and is spreading across the nation. Volunteers in the parish are trained to help a woman through her pregnancy – with practical assistance, spiritual and emotional guidance, and help in accessing needed services.”

 On August 24, 2009, Archbishop George Niederauer highly commended The Gabriel Project to all Pastors and Parochial Vicars of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and asked them to seriously consider this ministry in their parishes. In his letter, the Archbishop stated that The Gabriel Project is a practical, effective way for parishes to reach out to women in difficult pregnancies with real, concrete help. It embodies the practical support that the bishops promise pregnant women.

Learn more about The Gabriel Project:

• For how to implement it your area call Cathy McConn at 713-741-8729.
• Read The Gabriel Project: Interview with Cathy McConn.
• Listen to an interview with Cathy McConn on Immaculate Heart Radio (8/21/2009).
• Visit The Gabriel Project.

*Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco Commends The Gabriel Project

Today Archbishop George Niederauer highly commended The Gabriel Project to all Pastors and Parochial Vicars of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and asked them to seriously consider this ministry in their parishes. In his letter, the Archbishop stated that The Gabriel Project is a practical, effective way for parishes to reach out to women in difficult pregnancies with real, concrete help.

The Archbishop wrote: “The USCCB’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities notes that one of the objectives of a parish pro-life committee should be to ‘develop or adopt a parish-based ministry to pregnant women and their children.’ The Gabriel Project answers this call. It embodies the practical support that the bishops promise pregnant women.”

He briefly described the workings of The Gabriel Project within a parish and recommended that a small team from each parish be sent to a conference being conducted by the San Francisco Archdiocesan Respect Life Program of the Office of Public Policy & Social Concerns.  He also presented details about the conference.

• Click here to read the Archbishop’s letter.
• Click here to learn more about The Gabriel Project.
• Read Archbishop Niederauer Heralds NorCal Prolife Effort (The Catholic Key Blog - by the staff of the newspaper for the Diocese of Kansas City,  St. Joseph in Missouri).
• Read Archdiocese of San Francisco to host Gabriel Project conference (Catholic News Agency).
• Read Gabriel Project: Gabriel’s Angels Show God’s Love to Pregnant Women in Distress (Catholic Online).

*YOU CAN BE AN ANGEL

YOU CAN BE AN ANGEL

AND YOUR PARISH CAN BE A HOST OF ANGELS

THE GABRIEL PROJECT

Through The Gabriel Project, parishes embrace each pregnant woman who comes to them as their daughter, sister, and friend. Using signs, pamphlets, car decals and a toll free hotline, we make it known that help is available. When a woman calls for help, the phone-line volunteer contacts The Gabriel Project Coordinator, who is a parishioner of the Church closest to where she lives. A trained mentor, one of the parish’s Gabriel Angels, is assigned responsibility for ongoing contact with the mother throughout her pregnancy and somewhat beyond. The parish community assists with unconditional love. Through them, mothers receive the spiritual, material and emotional support needed during pregnancy.

Parishes often seek out ways to make themselves visible to the community and to be recognized as caring Christians who not only pray for their neighbors, but also extend them a loving and helping hand. The Gabriel Project is a marvelous way to show the community that your parish cares about pregnant women in need and that there is no reason for any mother within its boundaries to contemplate abortion.

History:

Following the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973 which made abortion legally permissible in all the States, the Rev. Msgr. John Perusina, late pastor of St. Michael Parish on Sage Road, Houston, put a sign outside the rectory which said: If you will have your baby, this parish will help you in every way.

That was the beginning of The Gabriel Project. In 1990, Cathy McConn from Houston and her friend, Rex Moses from Corpus Christi, saw the sign, and The Gabriel Project was developed throughout the Galveston-Houston and the Corpus Christi dioceses. It has since spread throughout the country.

On November 12, 2002, the thirtieth anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a statement in which they asserted: “Our firm conviction as Catholics that life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception has been a part of the Church’s constant witness since the Apostolic age and has inspired millions to defend human life at every stage.”

In this same statement the bishops said, “We renew our offer of assistance to anyone considering abortion: If you are overwhelmed by the decisions you face, if you cannot afford medical care, if you are homeless or feel helpless, whatever your needs, we will help you. The Church and her ministries, inspired by the word and example of Jesus Christ, will help you with compassion and without condemnation.”

In the USCCB’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, the bishops stated: “Respect for human life compels us to reach out to those with special needs. With the support of the faith community, Catholic organizations and agencies provide pastoral services and care for pregnant women, especially those who are vulnerable to abortion and who would otherwise find it difficult or impossible to obtain high-quality medical care.”

After listing a number of programs, the bishops noted that “Parishes are also increasingly providing pregnancy assistance. Such services are sometimes available within the parish; at other times, the parish program links those needing help to local services. Even when pregnancies do not involve particular challenges, encouragement and support should be given to couples who have conceived a child. In a culture that often gives negative messages regarding parenthood, it is important that our parishes celebrate the gift of new life.” They also noted that one of the objectives of the “parish pro-life committee” should be to “develop or adopt, where feasible, a parish-based ministry to pregnant women and their children.”

In the USSCB document, A People of Life and a People for Life: An Invitation, The Gabriel Project is listed among a number of sugessted programs: “Begin a parish-based ministry to pregnant women and their children. The Gabriel Project, developed in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, is excellent and is spreading across the nation. Volunteers in the parish are trained to help a woman through her pregnancy – with practical assistance, spiritual and emotional guidance, and help in accessing needed services.”

 On August 24, 2009, Archbishop George Niederauer highly commended The Gabriel Project to all Pastors and Parochial Vicars of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and asked them to seriously consider this ministry in their parishes. In his letter, the Archbishop stated that The Gabriel Project is a practical, effective way for parishes to reach out to women in difficult pregnancies with real, concrete help. It embodies the practical support that the bishops promise pregnant women.

Learn more about The Gabriel Project:

• For how to implement it your area call Cathy McConn at 713-741-8729.
• Read The Gabriel Project: Interview with Cathy McConn.
• Listen to an interview with Cathy McConn on Immaculate Heart Radio (8/21/2009).
• Visit The Gabriel Project.

*From the Holy Spirit to the Adversaries of Medjugorje?

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2009

Near the end of July 2009, adversaries of the reputed apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje were taking advantage of an unfortunate situation (regarding a former priest who serverd in Medjugorje many years ago) to further their (not authoritative) condemnation of the apparitions of Our Blessed Mother. Click here for a balanced report.

So what did the Holy Spirit manifest on behalf of Our Lady’s apparitions just a few days later (perhaps as refutation)? What follows are excerpts from an account of the apparition to Mirjana that took place on August 2nd.

“A massive amount of people gathered today for Our Lady’s apparition, reminiscent of the crowds that were typically present in Medjugorje during the late 80’s and early 90’s at the height of pilgrims coming to Medjugorje before the war came to the region. By 5:00 a.m. the whole inner section surrounding the Blue Cross was filled with pilgrims, and there were many youth who were sprawled out in sleeping bags having spent the night on Apparition Mountain in anticipation of Our Lady’s early morning apparition. By 7:00 a.m. both wide paths heading up and all the way to the top of the mountain were completely filled with people, many of them mistakenly believing Our Lady would be appearing on top of the mountain, not realizing the location was the Blue Cross. Though there can be no accurate measure of the amount of people present, we are confident in saying there were 50,000 people on and surrounding Apparition Mountain today. It was an incredible sight—a sea of faces everywhere you looked. Perhaps that is why Our Lady gave an awesome, special “Fatima” type gift today in the apparition.”

“… Shortly after the apparition began, cries of surprise, shock, deep emotion and awe were heard rippling through the crowd from different directions, growing in magnitude.”

“… As for the pilgrims themselves, they had also seen a miracle. The sun became a miraculous sign for them. More and more people began looking where the first ones were pointing—at the sun. Many were seeing the sun “dancing” or “spinning,” others saw a cross illuminated in the sun, still others saw different colors within or streaming out of the sun. Tears were streaming down many faces, others stared in wonder, others in joy. And there were those who did not look up at all, so intense in their prayer as the apparition was still taking place. It swept through the crowd what the early days of Medjugorje were like when physical miracles abounded. It was very moving as the people knew what a chance of a lifetime it was to see the actions of God take place right before their eyes. To know after the apparition that Mirjana also had the sun in her apparition behind Our Lady confirmed the pilgrims’ “vision,” and the pilgrims confirmed Mirjana’s vision that the miracle was wed to each other.”

To read the full account and view photos, click here.  To view a video during which you can hear the sounds of the pilgrims, click here or below. Look for the reflection of the sun on Mirjana’s face.

And what did Our Lady have to say on August 2nd?

“Dear children, I am coming, with my Motherly love, to point out the way by which you are to set out, in order that you may be all the more like my Son; and by that, closer to and more pleasing to God.  Do not refuse my love.  Do not renounce salvation and eternal life for the sake of transience and frivolity of this life.  I am coming to lead you and, as a mother, to caution you.  Come with me.”

Perhaps that’s just too simple of a message for those Catholics who think they have all the answers and are the source of all knowledge and wisdom.

For myself I say, thank you Mother, I love you too.

• A Sign in the Sky?
• Private Revelation

*From Family Planning to Death Planning

by Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer, President, Human Life International

It’s time to kiss grandma goodbye. Do it while you can, especially if she is sick. I am not being facetious here. The healthcare debate is deadly serious for seniors and those who will need a greater amount of healthcare in the coming years. People approaching retirement age will be obliged to start planning for death soon, and the government is more than ready to help them. According to this wicked bill, HR 3200, there are generous provisions setting the stage to weed out the weak, infirm and unfit and make room for the fit, all at the government’s discretion. The list of chilling dictates that will affect all seniors and ill persons is just frightening [see sidebar for references]. I note just a few relevant provisions from the 1018-page document:

• Page 29: healthcare will be rationed by government regulators;
• Pages 30 and 42: government committees will be set up to decide what healthcare we can and can’t have – a “Health Choices Commissioner” (Commissar?) will be in charge of these decisions;
• Page 239: the government will limit and reduce physician services for Medicaid which means that the dependent elderly and those most unable to access other services will suffer;
• Page 341: the government will be able to disqualify Medicare Part B and HMOs if they don’t get with the program, which means that they can effectively put them out of business as competition; and no one will be able to sue the government for a de facto monopoly on healthcare or for price-fixing (p. 124);
• Pages 425-430: “end-of-life” counseling and courses will be obligatory in this heinous bill-by the way, the Hemlock Society (now euphemistically called Compassion and Choices) has admitted to working with members of congress on this section of the bill;
• Page 429: nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants can have authority to write end-of-life orders.

Another curious fact: of the 31 occurrences of the word “planning” in the text of this massive bill, fifteen of them are in the sections dealing with death planning (always called “advanced care planning”), nine are in the sections on “family planning” (code words for abortion, sex education and contraception) and the other seven are about government bureaucratic functioning. Isn’t it strange that a society which has worshipped “freedom of choice” for so long is now on the verge of surrendering its freedom and choices to government planners?

The only reason we have our elderly being set up for systematic extermination now is because our culture has been so deeply brainwashed by the contraceptive and abortive mentalities that come from decades of “family planning” propaganda. The devaluation of human life at one end of the spectrum leaves the other end of the life spectrum completely vulnerable to the depredations of the power-mongers in Washington. Albert Schweitzer said that “if a man loses his reverence for any part of life, he will lose his reverence for all of life.” In terms of the current healthcare debate that would mean: when you sow family planning, you reap death planning. It’s that simple.

How ironic that President Obama’s so-called overhaul of the healthcare system in this country comes just at the time when the number of senior citizens is set to double. If the “Greatest Generation” gave our nation the technology and the prosperity to have the highest standard of living and best healthcare system in the world – bar none – then that generation will be the first to be killed off by the same technology – and all for altruistic reasons based on lifestyle and efficiency. Needless to say, the baby-boomers are next in line for euthanasia.

Those who still value life and are now being called into a very personal pro-life battle, one that threatens to strike at the very center of our families: our parents and grandparents. Just as we have always stood united in our defense of the rights of the unborn, we must adamantly resist this heinous program to hand over life and death planning to the government. Those decisions must stay in the hands of God. We must resist this wickedness now, while we still have breath.

Human Life International

Serious Health Care and End of Life Decisions

*Americans are confused about life

By Bishop Robert Vasa

I had the good fortune while listening to a Christian television station to hear a congressman from Georgia who was talking about the Sanctity of Human Life Act. This is a bill introduced in November, 2007, that defines human life as beginning at fertilization and would protect all human life even that life created by human cloning or in-vitro fertilization. This is not at all new news, but hearing the congressman speak gave me a renewed sense of just how complacent and confused we are in the United States about the worth and dignity of human life.

The language of the bill is both instructive and challenging: “The right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being, and is the paramount and most fundamental right of a person.” No one in these United States could take exception to this. The congressman talked about the relativistic and rather arbitrary method of determining just who is that person worthy of the protections guaranteed by the Constitution. Certainly that “person” is every human being whose birth process has been completed. There is nothing, however, in the birth process that changes anything of the nature of the one who is brought to birth. Thus the person who is fully delivered is the same “person” he or she was three or five minutes earlier. That which is essential to personhood, having the nature of a human being, is not changed by birth. What changes is what philosophers identify as the “accidents.” For instance, a doll possesses the “nature” of a doll. A doll is, for the sake of this discussion, a miniature human creation resembling a human being. You may put that doll in a box where no one sees it and it is still, by its own nature, a doll. That doll may be loved or completely neglected and it is still a doll. You may dress it in red, yellow, orange or blue and it is still a doll. You may even paint it a variety of colors and even disfigure it but it still remains a doll unless it is nearly destroyed. If you do not believe this try to take a beloved “doll,” which has long since lost its clear appearance as a doll, from its child owner. The doll’s location, relationship with persons, dress color or type, skin color, size and even general physical condition are all accidents, not essentials. None of these things change the “nature” of the doll. We know this now, though it was not always known or believed, in relation to the color of a person’s skin. That color or the national origin of a human being does not alter that which is essential to being a human being.

Unfortunately, by a kind of legal sleight of hand the Supreme Court has managed to overlook what is essential about a human being, his or her human nature, and make a distinction of personhood based on accidents of location, relationship, size, appearance, and degree of dependence. None of these things changes the nature of a human being and so none of these things should be used as ploys to grant or deny basic human rights. Yet, this is precisely what the Supreme Court has done.

The congressman’s bill seeks to correct this erroneous distinction by focusing precisely on that one thing which is essential. The only pertinent question should be: Is this a metabolizing biological entity of human origin with the genetic makeup of a human being? The bill incorporates this essential definition into law: “The life of each human being begins with fertilization, cloning, or its functional equivalent . . . at which time every human being shall have the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood.”

In making his case to his fellow congressmen, the bill’s author said: “We have a moral and constitutional obligation to protect and defend every precious soul that comes into existence.” The use of the word “soul” in this context refers more to human being than a specific spiritual reality we in the Catholic Church would identify as one’s “immortal soul.” It would not be proper to try to put into civil law this spiritual understanding of the nature of man. Identifying the nature of a human being, however, is not an attempt to impose anyone’s religious belief on someone else. It is rather the acceptance of a biological and scientific fact. That which is essential to the definition of a human being is already present from the moment the human ovum is fertilized by human sperm. Everything else is accident.

In keeping with this proper understanding of that which is essential to the human being, the Sanctity of Human Life Act declares that: “the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being, and is the paramount and most fundamental right of a person; and the life of each human being begins with fertilization, cloning, or its functional equivalent, irrespective of sex, health, function or disability, defect, stage of biological development, or condition of dependency, at which time every human being shall have all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood.” This is not a statement of religious belief but rather the logically consistent application of sound philosophical and biological reasoning.

Some new human entity is created when the human sperm and human ovum unite. That new entity begins a whole new form of living from the moment of fertilization. That new entity does not evolve into something else over the period he or she develops. He or she does not evolve from plant matter to animal matter or to a human being after passing through the birth canal. He or she undergoes no essential changes from what he or she possesses at the beginning. That which is granted to the baby who has been fully born is based legally on a number of accidents when it ought to be based on that which is essential.

The Sanctity of Human Life Act does not seek to introduce some inane legal fiction, but rather seeks to overturn a faulty legal fiction. The fiction, in which we are presently living, inanely pretends that human beings are not really human beings unless the Supreme Court passes judgment on them and declares them to be so. African slaves were always human beings and the Supreme Court decisions said or did nothing to change that. It simply recognized the truth. The Sanctity of Human Life Act seeks legal recognition of the same truth.

Source

More from Bishop Vasa here and here

*Receive ‘Charity in Truth’ with Charity and Hunger for the Truth

by Deacon Keith Fournier

Catholic Online

On June 29, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI told the faithful, “The publication of my third encyclical is now near, which has the title Caritas in Veritate. Taking up the social themes contained in Populorum Progressio, written by the Servant of God Paul VI in 1967, this document — which is dated precisely today, June 29th, the Solemnity of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul — aims to deepen a few aspects of integral development in our age in the light of charity in truth. I entrust to your prayers this new contribution that the Church offers to humanity in her commitment for sustainable progress, in full respect for human dignity and everyone’s real requirements.”

This long awaited encyclical letter has finally been released

Prior to 2004, the phrase “Social Teaching” or “Social Doctrine” of the Catholic Church referred to the teachings found in the Sacred Scriptures, expounded upon in the Christian tradition, developed in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, explained within a contemporary series of encyclical letters, apostolic letters and exhortations, and wonderfully summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, many people have not read many of these sources for any number of reasons. Thus, what claimed to be the “Social Teaching” of the Catholic Church was sometimes closer to being the “spin” self styled “experts”, some of whom have had their own political and/or economic theories and agendas.

Then on April 2, 2004, the Memorial of Saint Francis of Paola, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President of the “Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace” released the “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of Church.” It was exactly what had been lacking. It contains a very readable summary of centuries of teaching and sets forth the themes of that rich Social teaching of the Church for all men and women. The Compendium is one well written, beautifully sourced and highly readable book. It is a ready made Manual for the New Catholic Action which is so desperately needed in our age. I had sincerely hoped that it would be widely distributed and really studied by the faithful. I have done all I can to write, teach and use the Compendium in my own public policy and apologetics work.

Unfortunately, over five years have past since the release of the Compendium and the situation has not changed all that much. I have found that few Catholics even know the Compendium exists. This becomes obvious when one reads some of the comments and articles written in anticipation of the release on Tuesday July 7, 2009 of Pope Benedict XVI’s much anticipated “Charity in Truth.” Even some well intended Catholics used a “proof text” approach of quoting past encyclical letters in order to “prepare the ground” for this new encyclical. They were telling others how they should interpret it before it was even capable of being read! I ask all of our readers to take a very different approach. Prayerfully receive this encyclical letter from the Church as a gift, thoroughly read it yourself and then seek to give religious submission of mind and will to it.

The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church is precisely what is needed as western culture continues on its path of self destruction. It is not only for Catholics, other Christians or even just “religious people”. It is for all people and all Nations. It is offered by the Church to those who seek to build a truly just society and promote the real common good. This teaching is called “social” because it speaks to human society and to the formation, role and rightful place of social institutions. These truths and principles can be known by all men and women because they are revealed in the Natural law and then expounded upon in Revelation. The Social Teaching is neither “left” nor “right”, neither “liberal” nor “conservative” – within the contemporary politicized use of those words. The Church ‘walks the way of the person’ and is an “expert in humanity” because she continues the work of the Lord Himself in whom we find revealed the fullness of the human person.

The Social teaching maintains that there are unchangeable truths, such as the dignity of every human person at every age and stage, which provide a framework for viewing and structuring our social life together. We should recognize and follow them if we ever hope to build a truly just society. This human dignity is present in every person, at every age and stage, because it reflects the Image of God in all men and women. It is this foundational vision of the human person which informs the Catholic position concerning the respect for every human life whether that life be in the first home of the womb, a wheelchair, a jail cell, a hospital room, a hospice, a senior center or a soup kitchen. It does not propose any particular economic theory but insists that every economic order must first be at the service of the dignity of the human person and the family and further the common good.

Another example of such a truth is the insistence upon the primacy of authentic marriage as between one man and one woman, intended for life and the family founded upon it. Marriage is not some social construct which can be redefined by courts or legislatures. It is the foundation of the family which is the very path and vehicle to building a just social order. The family is the first society, first church, first school, first economy, first government and first mediating institution. In the words of the late servant of God John Paul II “the future of the world passes through the family.” The Church proclaims the truth that the human person is by nature – and grace – made for community and the first community which humanizes and civilizes us is the family.

These truths are not “religious” positions, in the sense that only religious people need assent to them. They are revealed by the Natural Law and are true for all people and for all time. The social teaching of the Catholic Church offers principles which are to be worked into the loaf of human culture in order to build a more just society. That includes principles meant to inform how we order our economies. Because they are “principles”, they leave room for the application of prudential judgment.

The Church challenges any notion of “freedom” which begins and ends with the isolated, atomistic, person as the measure of its application. She proclaims an authentic view of human freedom as having to always be exercised within a moral constitution. Freedom must be ordered toward choosing what is good, respecting the truth about the human person,human flourishing, the family and the real common good. Freedom must be exercised in deference toward our obligations in solidarity to one another. The Church calls us to a preferential option or love for the poor, a demonstrated concern for their well being and the development of a social and economic order which includes them within its embrace and promise of advancement. She upholds the dignity of all human work and the basic right to a living, just or family wage.

In recent encyclicals the market economy has been recognized as having a real potential for promoting all of these goods – when properly understood and morally structured. However, the Catholic Church does not take a position on which economic theory is the “best” among many. She properly and prophetically stood against the materialism of the atheistic Marxist system. She has also properly and prophetically cautions Nations which have adopted a form of liberal capitalism that there are dangers in any form of economism or materialism which promotes the use of persons as products and fails to recognize the value of being over acquiring. She reminds our consumerist western culture that the market economy must be at the service the person, the family and the common good, lest ‘capitalism’ conflate its claims to offering freedom and become “savage” in its application and practice devolving into greed.

“Charity in Truth” addresses, in part, economic issues. However, it does not contain anything ‘new’. With great wisdom it presents the truth within the context of our own time. It is also prophetic. The Church carries on the prophetic mission of Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts, our minds, our lives and our lifestyles to the truths presented in this new encyclical letter by Pope Benedict XVI. The very term “encyclical” means circulating. The practice began in the first centuries of church history when Bishops would “circulate” their instructions among the faithful. Let us take this important encyclical letter and do the same. Read it for yourself before you take anyone’s word for what it says. Receive it in prayer with a heart filled with charity and hungry for the truth.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Caritas in Veritate

*A National Examen

You’ve got to read this reflection by Abbot Joseph and for maximum effect, I’m directing you to Word Incarnate.