Life

Building a Culture of Life

If the world believed what Jesus proclaimed, every society would be transformed: God is our Father, and we are created in his image, with God-given dignity and a transcendent destiny. This vision is spiritual, not political. Catholics belong first to the “city of God.” But we have a duty to correct injustices and build up the earthly city. Our principles drive us to work for justice and the common good, to protect the vulnerable, to promote freedom and human dignity, and to prefer remedies that are personal, local and small-scale.

Globalized society tolerates many injustices—abortion; euthanasia; birth control policies targeting the poor; racial discrimination; a widening gap between poor and rich; pollution; porn and drug addictions; the death penalty and overcrowded prisons; the erosion of religious liberty; a broken immigration system. The Church speaks to all these issues. But abortion and euthanasia are different. They are direct, personal attacks on innocent and vulnerable human life. We cannot claim to speak for the disenfranchised if we allow millions of children to be killed each year in the womb. Our vision must be whole and never partial. For God, every life is sacred, beautiful, and filled with possibility. Respect for life means there are no exceptions to our love.