Intercessions for Life
November 2000
That our lives may be marked with a love for all of our neighbors:
the poor, the sick, the old, the unborn, the dying,
and all who cry out for our protection:
We pray to the Lord:
For all whose lives have been taken by abortion or euthanasia,
that they might live forever in refreshment, light and peace:
We pray to the Lord:
That when the Son of Man comes to judge the living and the dead,
he might look upon each one of us
and count us worthy to be called disciples of the Gospel of Life:
We pray to the Lord:
That Christ the King of Life might defend the hearts of all who are
tempted against the powers of the culture of death:
We pray to the Lord:
"There is an urgent need to recover a correct perspective on life as a whole. The correct perspective is that of eternity, for which life at every phase is a meaningful preparation. Old age too has a proper role to play in this process of gradual maturing along the path to eternity. And this process of maturing cannot but benefit the larger society of which the elderly person is a part.
Elderly people help us to see human affairs with greater wisdom, because life's vicissitudes have brought them knowledge and maturity. They are the guardians of our collective memory, and thus the privileged interpreters of that body of ideals and common values which support and guide life in society. To exclude the elderly is in a sense to deny the past, in which the present is firmly rooted, in the name of a modernity without memory. Precisely because of their mature experience, the elderly are able to offer young people precious advice and guidance. In view of all this, the signs of human frailty which are clearly connected with advanced age become a summons to the mutual dependence and indispensable solidarity which link the different generations..."
- Letter to the Elderly by Pope John Paul II
Sometimes it seems few candidates and no party fully reflect our values. But now is not a time for retreat. The new millennium should be an opportunity for renewed participation.
We must challenge all parties and every candidate to defend human life and dignity, to pursue greater justice and peace, to uphold family life, and to advance the common good.
NCCB Administrative Committee, "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium"
A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift. The supreme gift of marriage is a human person. A child may not be considered a piece of property, an idea to which an alleged "right to a child"would lead. In this area, only the child possesses genuine rights: the right to be the fruit of the specific act of the conjugal love of his parents, and the right to be respected as a person from the moment of his conception.
Pontifical Council for the Family, Preparation for the Jubilee of Families, October 2000
With its decision in Stenberg v. Carhart, the U.S. Supreme Court has moved beyond abortion to near infanticide. And in doing so it has created a new level of moral blindness and insensitivity. How much killing can we stand without losing our humanity?
"The Door Opens to Infanticide," NCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities
Our responsibility is to measure every party and platform by how its agenda touches human life and dignity.
NCCB Administrative Committee, "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium"