*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 [...]

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*Church teaching enjoins all Catholics – even legislators

by Bishop Robert Vasa
The headline from Vatican City dated February 18, 2009 as reported by the Catholic News Agency (CNA) should have been neither shocking nor surprising but in many ways, it was both.
The story had been circulated that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be received by the Holy Father after his usual Wednesday Audience [...]

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*The Dignity of a Person

By Bishop Robert Vasa
“The dignity of a person must be recognized in every human being from conception to natural death.”

So begins the Sept. 8, 2008 Instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the dignity of the human person. This instruction is a follow-up and updating of a previous instruction from the [...]

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*Lives are saved, but some vaccines aren’t morally neutral

By Bishop Robert Vasa
Occasionally I am compelled to approach topics which, if I were more prudent, I would avoid. The issue of vaccines produced using cell lines of illicit origin is one such topic. At the outset I will say that the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) has produced a rather thorough FAQ sheet (frequently [...]

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*Dignitas Personae helps Catholics form their consciences

By Bishop Robert Vasa
My recent reflections on the document Dignitas Personae served me very well this past week as I traveled to Dallas for a meeting for bishops hosted by the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC).
The range of topics centered primarily on the freedom of religious expression and the rights and role of conscience. Dignitas [...]

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*Some forms of so-called ‘contraception’ take a human life

By Bishop Robert Vasa
It is impossible for the Church to treat the subject of the dignity of a human person without reiterating its consistent teaching about the sinfulness of artificial contraception. Dignitas Personae, a 2008 instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, does not make any direct comment about whether contraceptive pharmaceuticals [...]

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*Every human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception

By Bishop Robert Vasa
Last week I covered the introduction to the document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith known as Dignitatis Personae or Dignity of a Person. In light of recent indications that there may be an expansion of permission to experiment with human embryonic cells the section of Dignitatis Personae, which [...]

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*A human embryo is a human person

By Bishop Robert Vasa
“The dignity of a person must be recognized in every human being from conception to natural death.”

So begins the Sept. 8, 2008 Instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the dignity of the human person. This instruction is a follow-up and updating of a previous instruction from the [...]

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*Those who profess to love God, but back abortion, are liars

By Bishop Robert Vasa
 The Mass readings for the week between Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord are taken from the First Letter of St. John. These readings are not always used for it often happens, depending upon the day on which Christmas falls, that the season of ordinary time begins immediately after the celebration [...]

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*Funerals and Purgatory

by Bishop Vasa
It often happens at funerals that the consoling hope that the dearly departed is in heaven with God leads to an over-exaggerated statement that the newly departed is in heaven already. This, of course, is merely conjectured and not known. It is hoped for but not certain. Nonetheless these compassionate sermons can generate [...]

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*Bishop Vasa on Courage

We are edified by the courage of Eleazar and companions
By Bishop Robert Vasa
Note that Eleazar has no illusion about the practical value of his fidelity. It would not cause the king to change the law, it would not cause his friends to convert, it would not result in a miraculous intervention by God. In worldly [...]

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*Bishop Vasa: As you form conscience, know not all issues are equal

As you form conscience, know not all issues are equal
By Bishop Robert Vasa
“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” is the document of the United States Catholic Bishops which is intended to provide some moral guidelines for discerning difficult election choices.
The document does, in fact, provide very sound guidance. It is important, however, to properly discern what [...]

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*Bishop Vasa of Baker corrects Pelosi on Church teachings on abortion

Modern look at abortion not same as St. Augustine’s

It is not possible this week to write about things related to the Catholic Church without making special note of the comments of a high-ranking U.S. official regarding abortion. This official, drawing from the rich tradition of the teachings of Saint Augustine, implied that he would have [...]

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*Satan, while hidden, remains active in us and in society

By Bishop Robert Vasa
The Conference which I attended in Chicago this week dealt with the spiritual activity in the Church known as deliverance ministry and exorcism. I wrote about this last year after I had listened to a series of tapes from a conference on the same topic which was held in 2007. Many aspects [...]

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*Being Catholic

In this document:

Affirmation of Personal Faith Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa
Authentic Catholicism Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput
Dutiful Catholicism Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput
Formation of Conscience Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke
Making A Conscious Decision To Be Or Not To Be Catholic Most Rev. John J. Myers
Deepening our Understanding of the Truths of the Catholic Faith [...]

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