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  The
Respect Life
Apostolate
at Sacred Heart Cathedral parish exists to proclaim the dignity and sanctity of
human life from conception to natural death by the promotion and support of
community organizations dedicated to heralding and defending the Gospel of Life.
"Actively promoting a renewed respect for human
life is the responsibility of every Catholic."
USCCB --- Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities: A Campaign in Support of
Life
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Mission
Statement
The mission of
the Respect Life Apostolate
is to witness, by word and action, to the
teachings of Jesus Christ on the respect for the dignity of each
human being from conception to natural death. As a faith
community we are called to recognize that every person is created in
God's image and is of inestimable worth. We are therefore
challenged to promote and protect the inviolable right to life of
all God's children, especially the most defenseless: "For
whatever you do to the
least of
these my brothers, you do unto me." |
Introducing...
The nonpartisan voice of North Carolina's Bishops
More than
800,000 residents of North Carolina profess the Catholic faith in the
187 parishes and missions of the Dioceses of Raleigh and Charlotte.
Catholic Voice NC gives interested citizens a voice in the public
policy arena when it intersects with Catholic teaching.
Visit the official
web site of Catholic Voice NC now to find out more and
register to receive regular email alerts and important legislative updates:
http://CatholicVoiceNC.org
USCCB: Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (and other documents):
http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/
Helpful
explanatory article from USCCB's "Life Insight" November/December newsletter on
how to read the 2007 "Faithful Citizenship" statement":
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/publicat/lifeinsight/LINovDec07.pdf
"Protecting
Human Life
begins with our opposition to
abortion
and
euthanasia,
which are pre-eminent threats to human life and dignity, and
extends to our opposition to
cloning,
assisted suicide,
and the
death penalty,
and our efforts to
promote peace."
Faithful
Citizenship 2004, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Why
does Holy Mother Church describe abortion as a “pre-eminent threat to human
life and dignity”? She reminds us that abortion is the “deliberate
killing” of “the weakest in our midst---innocent unborn children,” and is (like
euthanasia) “gravely contrary to the moral law” and therefore a universally
condemned, and intrinsically evil, act. (Catechism of the Catholic
Church, #2271)
Note: All Catechism
references you see on this page can be read in context and in their entirety on
line by going to
http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art5.shtml#2271.
Fact:
In 2007 over 33,000 abortions were
performed
in North Carolina abortion facilities. (The three abortion mills operating in
Wake County accounted for nearly
10,000 of those
33,000
pre-natal executions.)
USCCB: Women Deserve Better Than Abortion:
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/publicat/lifeissues/010303.shtml
“We encourage the passage of laws and
programs that…assist pregnant women…” Faithful Citizenship 2004, U.S.
Catholic Bishops
Urge your legislator to support S.
2407 / HR 319, the “Pregnant Women Support Act,” and similar bills to help women
choose life instead of abortion.
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-206.shtml
How to reduce the
rate of abortions: It may not be what you think:
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/publicat/lifeissues/101008.shtml
Women who have gone through an abortion need our
kindness and prayers, not our condemnation. Criticism is more
appropriately directed at the abortion providers and promoters (powerful
special-interest groups such as Planned Parenthood Federation of
America and NARAL Pro-Choice America) that stand to profit from the
exploitation of
distressed expectant mothers struggling to deal with their crisis pregnancies.
USCCB: Planned Parenthood
Federation—Profiting from Death at Any Cost:
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/publicat/lifeissues/060107.shtml
Fact: 83% of women surveyed who had had abortions said
that they definitely would not have chosen abortion if they had been
encouraged differently by the people who played a role in their abortion
decision. (The Elliot Institute,
www.afterabortion.org )
The bishops and
the Catechism of the Catholic Church instruct us, that, given the ability of
modern societies to protect people from an aggressor (confinement in prison),
the need to exercise the death penalty in capital cases is “very rare, if not
practically non-existent.” Also, serious questions have been raised regarding
the delivery of justice in capital cases. (Catechism of the Catholic Church
#2267).
Fact:
In the United States since 1973, more than 110 people have been freed from death
row because they were proven innocent of the murder for which they had been
convicted. (www.deathpenalty.org)
USCCB: Appeal to End the Death Penalty:
http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/criminal/appeal.shtml
Although all
nations have a duty to protect the lives of its citizens against terrorism,
aggression and similar threats by force if necessary, the Gospel calls us to
seek non-violent means first, and military means as a last resort,
in efforts to defend life. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2307 &
2308).
USCCB: Statement on Nuclear Arms and Land Mines:
http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/20070201armscontrolbck.pdf
Helpful Links for Further Exploration of Respect Life Issues:
Is the
Holy Spirit leading you to answer Christ’s call to actively promote the Gospel
of Life here in our community? Your parish Respect Life representative’s
contact information appears below. Thank you for visiting Sacred Heart
Cathedral’s Respect Life page.
Dennis Embo, Sacred Heart
Cathedral Respect Life Representative - Phone: 779-0240
Email:
embo4good@yahoo.com
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