Respect for Life

Our Catholic perspective emphasizes our unity.  We are one flock, one fold of sheep. We are just emerging (I hope) from an unprecedented world-wide pandemic.  Despite God’s hope that we would “all be one,” and that we would “not be scattered,” COVID has ravaged the world and has divided us by fear as well as by inequitable distribution of health care generally, and of the COVID vaccine in particular.

A good shepherd would see that all of his flock is cared for.  Our governments have tried to take care of their own, but even they have failed in many ways.  When you look at the picture globally, it is even worse.

The Church can be helpful here.  We are an enormous institutional presence in the world…not just our parishes, but our schools, universities, hospitals, clinics, social service agencies.  Our reach is very broad.

How can we help the world recover from the trauma of the pandemic, and from the trauma it cause?

The following website provides many different COVID resources – suggestions, prayers, advocacy suggestions – from the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

https://www.chausa.org/newsroom/coronavirus-resources/

Peace and Security for All Life

We extol the dignity of every human life, made in God’s image, a truth revealed in Genesis. To live that truth we take a stand, by preaching and action, against all threats to human well-being. “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties” of all people – of those threatened by war abroad or gun violence at home, of prisoners, of the sick, of children in the womb, of mothers in crisis – these too are our “joys and hopes…griefs and anxieties.” (Cf. Gaudium et Spes §1)

Get involved:

• Abolish the Death Penalty:  http://www.ncadp.org/
• The fight against domestic violence: https://pvm.archchicago.org/human-dignity-solidarity/domestic-violence-outreach
• The fight for sanctity of Life – Pro Life: http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/index.cfm