We must continue to bring ‘life to light’
January 19, 2024 at 2:26 p.m.
The human right to life is not simply a religious right; nor is it the making of the “religious right” as some often suggest, no. It is a human right without which no other human rights can be, no other human rights can exist, no other human rights can prevail no matter how clever or deceptive we can disguise our opposition.
We who are religious, however, we who are people of faith, who believe in God who created us, embrace that human right to life in the deepest parts of our very being, first, as humans, and right behind that, as Catholics and people of faith.
Our Holy Father, as his predecessors before him, has spoken clearly:
Human life is sacred and inviolable. Every civil right is based on the recognition of the first, fundamental right, the right to life, which is not subject to any condition, of a qualitative, economic and certainly not of an ideological nature (“Address to the Italian Movement for Life,” April 11, 2014).
It is “necessary,” he continued,
… to reaffirm our solid opposition to any direct offense against life, especially when innocent and defenseless, and the unborn child in its mother's womb is the quintessence of innocence. Let us remember the words of Vatican Council II: 'Therefore, from the moment of its conception, life must be guarded with the greatest care, while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes.’
One month ago, Christians everywhere celebrated the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, long anticipated in the writings of the prophets of old. We believe that Christ was/is the plan of God for us and so he entered and assumed our humanity! And he did so to save us from our sins, to save us from ourselves and the human judgments and decisions we make: human judgments and decisions against human life, human judgments and decisions against Christ, human judgments and decisions for death.
Jesus’ own words, “I have come that you may have life” (John 10:10) -- Jesus’ own reason for being -- must become our own as his followers. They are the banner we carry as we “March for Life,” they are the banner we lift high in this Diocese, in Washington, DC, and throughout the world.
“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). We must continue to bring “life to light” in every choice we make, every decision we uphold, every right we claim and affirm as human beings.
Light pierces darkness; death gives way to life. Christ’s light is love. And love saves lives.
Related Stories
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
E-Editions
Events
The human right to life is not simply a religious right; nor is it the making of the “religious right” as some often suggest, no. It is a human right without which no other human rights can be, no other human rights can exist, no other human rights can prevail no matter how clever or deceptive we can disguise our opposition.
We who are religious, however, we who are people of faith, who believe in God who created us, embrace that human right to life in the deepest parts of our very being, first, as humans, and right behind that, as Catholics and people of faith.
Our Holy Father, as his predecessors before him, has spoken clearly:
Human life is sacred and inviolable. Every civil right is based on the recognition of the first, fundamental right, the right to life, which is not subject to any condition, of a qualitative, economic and certainly not of an ideological nature (“Address to the Italian Movement for Life,” April 11, 2014).
It is “necessary,” he continued,
… to reaffirm our solid opposition to any direct offense against life, especially when innocent and defenseless, and the unborn child in its mother's womb is the quintessence of innocence. Let us remember the words of Vatican Council II: 'Therefore, from the moment of its conception, life must be guarded with the greatest care, while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes.’
One month ago, Christians everywhere celebrated the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, long anticipated in the writings of the prophets of old. We believe that Christ was/is the plan of God for us and so he entered and assumed our humanity! And he did so to save us from our sins, to save us from ourselves and the human judgments and decisions we make: human judgments and decisions against human life, human judgments and decisions against Christ, human judgments and decisions for death.
Jesus’ own words, “I have come that you may have life” (John 10:10) -- Jesus’ own reason for being -- must become our own as his followers. They are the banner we carry as we “March for Life,” they are the banner we lift high in this Diocese, in Washington, DC, and throughout the world.
“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). We must continue to bring “life to light” in every choice we make, every decision we uphold, every right we claim and affirm as human beings.
Light pierces darkness; death gives way to life. Christ’s light is love. And love saves lives.