| Respect for Life |
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"The meaning of life is found in giving and receiving love, and in this light human sexuality and procreation reach their true and full significance... Respect for life requires that science and technology should always be at the service of man and his integral development. Society as a whole must respect, defend and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person's life."
We Catholics are thoroughly and unabashedly pro-life .
—Pope John Paul II Pro-life News and Views
They asked that every effort be made "to reaffirm that human life is a precious gift from God; that each person who receives this gift has responsibilities toward God, toward self and toward others; and that society, through its laws and social institutions, must protect and sustain human life at every stage of its existence." Nationally the bishops have raised their voices against abortion. Most dioceses have a standing offer of help to any young woman in a crisis pregnancy. Annually the bishops dedicate October as Pro-Life month. As a group they support Project Rachel , which operates as a network of professional counselors and priests, all trained to provide one-on-one spiritual and psychological care for those who are suffering because of an abortion. There is a "Respect Life" and/or "Project Rachel" office in each of the California Catholic Church's 12 (arch) dioceses. Respect life directors and staff offer counsel, direct services, education, and support to individuals and groups interested in or struggling with a "life" issue: abortion, euthanasia/assisted suicide, or capital punishment. In addition, they lobby their state representatives using the information and guidance provided by the California Catholic Conference.
The California bishops have issued a study guide, The Gospel of Life and Capital Punishment with the realization that there are presently over 500 individuals on death row in our state. In March 2001, the California Catholic Conference published a reflection piece entitled, An Intrinsic Ethic of Meaning: Elements of the Catholic Moral Vision concerning Human Sexuality. Assisted suicide and euthanasia has begun to intrigue the American public. To counter the efforts to legalize this killing, the bishops have begun an education project for clergy and parish leaders, Embracing Our Dying . There are many other issues that concern Respect Life offices, including in vitro fertilization, embryonic stem cell research and cloning. A group of wealthy Californians are putting an initiative, California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act on the November ballot that will make it a constitutional right to do research on embryos and authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $3 billion to fund the research. The Catholic Church does not object to scientific research on adult stem cells or blood cord cells—because the donor of the stem cells is not destroyed. The Church opposes the use of embryonic stem cells or cloned stem cells because the donor (embryo or clone) is destroyed by extracting the stem cells. Given the moral importance of the issue, it is urgent for all Catholics to educate themselves on the issue. The CCC has prepared a fact sheet entitled Questions and Answers about stem cells and cloning. For more information, please contact your (arch) diocesan Respect Life office or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . |
In the United States, the death penalty is legal. On April 23, 2004, San Francisco 