What is Priests for Life?

The ministry of the priest is demanding. It includes the need to address sensitive and controversial issues, and a priest can feel alone and fearful in doing so. Amidst the demands of his ministry, therefore, he needs support and encouragement from three directions: from his bishop, from his congregation, and from his fellow priests.

It is this encouragement, especially from fellow priests, that the Priests for Life association was founded to provide. Specifically, it provides encouragement to carry out that dimension of priestly ministry that involves the defense of human life from abortion and euthanasia.

This particular dimension touches on what the Holy Father and the bishops have identified as two of the most urgent moral crises of our day (see Evangelium Vitae, 1995). Responding to those crises is not something added onto the life and ministry of the priest from the outside. It is, instead, a response that flows from the very meaning of being a priest, a Christian, and a human person. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is one and indivisible; hence, the Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of Life.

This very fact causes some to ask whether "Priests for Life" isn't redundant, even tragically so.

First of all, the title Priests for Life is intended to convey the truth that being for life is integral and essential to the life and ministry of every priest. This is not an association that seeks to be some sort of separate and elite group of priests who claim to be more pro-life than all the rest. Rather, it seeks to celebrate the dedicated efforts, so often hidden and unknown, of priests who heroically promote the culture of life across the nation.

Secondly, there are many Religious Communities and other organizations in the Church whose members highlight a facet of the Gospel to which all the rest of the Church is also called. Such highlighting is meant to be a stimulus to all to respond to a call that belongs to all. Therefore, the Sisters of Charity are not the only ones called to practice charity, nor is that what their name implies. The Blessed Sacrament Fathers do not claim to be the only ones who worship the Blessed Sacrament. Examples can be multiplied. Priests for Life is another such example. It is precisely because all priests and all others as well, are called to be for life that this association exists.

It is also helpful to reflect on the fact that there are groups called Doctors for Life, Nurses for Life, Pharmacists for Life, Lawyers for Life, Students for Life, Cops for Life, and countless others. But why, one might ask, should we need such groups? Aren't all doctors supposed to be for life? Yet the very reason we have a pro-life movement at all is because we have an immense tragedy on our hands, and need the skills of every profession to restore protection to all human life. In that light, it would be strange indeed if there were not a "Priests for Life!"

What is the Mission of Priests for Life?

The purpose of Priests for Life is not to add another structure or organization to the pro-life effort. Its purpose, instead, is to infuse a structure that already exists, the Church, with the vigor, enthusiasm, and very best resources to carry out its mission of defending life.

The Church is the only institution that has a Divine guarantee that it will prevail over the culture of death. "The gates of hell will not prevail against it," the Lord Himself said (Mt.16:18) When we hear these words, we usually think, "The Church will survive all the attacks launched against her," and certainly that is true. Upon further reflection, however, we realize that in a battle, a gate does not run out into the battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, the gate stands still and defends the city against the enemy attacking it! When the Lord says the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church, He means that the Church is taking the initiative and storming the gates! Those gates of hell cannot withstand the power of heaven; gates of sin melt in the presence of saving grace; gates of death fall in the presence of eternal life; gates of falsehood collapse in the presence of living truth; gates of violence fall in the presence of divine love. These are the gifts with which Christ has equipped His Church.

To fully exercise those gifts in response to the problems of abortion and euthanasia, therefore, does not so much require more structure as it does more spirit, more awareness, more courage, more determination to use both the means and the opportunities we have! That is what Priests for Life is all about. From the heart of the Church, it is a movement of priests seeking to use, and help the rest of the Church to use, her full strength against the most devastating attacks on human life in our day.

In certain places there are Priests for Life "chapters," in which priests come together regularly to encourage each other and pray together about the pro-life dimensions of their ministry. We are happy to assist the development of such chapters. The essence, however, of what Priests for Life seeks to accomplish is not attendance at chapter meetings, but rather the effective proclamation of the Gospel of Life within the ordinary, day to day aspects of the priest's assigned ministry.

The mission statement of Priests for Life identifies three avenues through which its overall goal is achieved. First is the networking of priests who are particularly active in pro-life work. Each issue of our newsletter has a "Priest Profile" section which exemplifies what priests are doing about abortion. Priests are put in contact with each other across the nation to share ideas, resources and experiences concerning effective pro-life ministry. Priests who may feel alone or isolated because of their special emphasis on life issues are assured that they are never alone.

A second aspect of the mission is to assist priests who may be hesitant about addressing abortion and euthanasia. By means of literature and tapes, seminars and direct personal assistance, the Priests for Life association can help a priest to identify his fears, uncertainties, or misconceptions about the issues involved or about the pro-life movement itself. One of our publications, for example, is Addressing Abortion with Confidence. It identifies common fears clergy have in this area, and discusses ways to overcome them.

The third aspect of our mission is to assist priests to relate to pro-life organizations, and vice versa. There is an often confusing and overwhelming myriad of pro-life groups in the United States. The influx of literature, as good as it may be, can be dizzying. How does a busy priest sort out what the initiatives, activities, and strategies of the movement are? How can he know what resources he can rely on in his parish, and what strategies of particular groups are in accord with the pastoral plan and teaching of the Church? Priests for Life can provide this type of guidance. Priests for Life knows intimately the philosophy and strategies of pro-life groups both big and small, as well as the persons behind them. Our association maintains communication, personal contact, and good relations with all such groups. In our newsletter, we seek to summarize suggested strategies and resources for busy priests. We are, furthermore, regularly present at all national gatherings of pro-life leaders in which strategies for the movement are formulated.

Not only does our Association assist the priest to work with the pro-life groups, but it assists the pro-life groups to work with their priests. From the beginning of Priests for Life, there has been strong support from the laity, and the association has lay auxiliary members. Many complain that priests do not speak enough about abortion. Priests for Life actively assists lay persons and groups to formulate realistic expectations and work constructively with their clergy. Some of our brochures, tapes, and seminars, in fact, address this theme.

The Clergy Commitment Pledge

Every priest is "for life" by definition, and we therefore do not put a heavy emphasis on recruiting "members." Nevertheless, thousands of priests across the United States have signed the Clergy Commitment Pledge, which expresses the spirit of our Association. The text follows, along with a few explanatory comments.

You will note that the pledge indicates that this organization is for Catholic priests and deacons. (Our outreach to deacons is called Deacons in the Service of Life, and has its own introductory literature. See www.deaconsforlife.org) Together with our lay auxiliary membership, we also rejoice when ministers and the faithful of other denominations associate themselves with our work. They are invited to cooperate with us and to take advantage of our educational materials. Several other denominations have also formed similar kinds of associations for their clergy.

The pledge points out that the defense of the human person is integral to the ordained ministry. The first motive mentioned for joining the association is the networking value it provides. The status of the association under Canon Law is then mentioned.

Prayer, preaching, and teaching are then mentioned as key aspects of the pledge. These are standard aspects of the work of the priest and deacon. If we infuse our normal activities with a greater attentiveness to the tragedies of abortion and euthanasia, we will make significant progress to overcome these evils. While Priests for Life provides suggestions and resources for prayer, preaching, and teaching, we do not hold our members to any specific form of devotion. Nor should association with Priests for Life be seen as a commitment to a particular school of theology. In those many cases in which the teaching and discipline of the Catholic Church permit a variety of theological, pastoral, and liturgical expressions, Priests for Life seeks to welcome every one of them. When it comes to the defense of innocent human life, we are not talking about a segment of the Church; we are talking about the whole Church.

Cooperation with Priests for Life projects is then mentioned, always within the context of union with one's own Ordinary. The idea behind this association has never been to come into a diocese in order to promote one or another program or activity. We come into dioceses everywhere in the country precisely in order to assist the clergy to work together with their bishop in the way he directs and according to the local circumstances. At the same time, we provide the benefit of the experience our network has, and the numerous contacts with all groups in the pro-life movement.

The pledge ends on a note of supreme confidence. In this battle, we are not just working for victory; we are working from victory. Victory is our starting point, because Christ has robbed death of its power. Therefore, we ask clergy and laity alike to carry out their pro-life work with profound peace of soul and a joyful spirit. It is our palpable joy for life which, when seen by the world, will attract it to our message.

The Priests for Life Chapter

Our primary goal is that the individual priest will benefit by his interaction with Priests for Life. However, as other movements of priestly renewal have experienced, there can be great benefit when priests come together for a time of prayer, teaching, and discussion about the pro-life aspects of their ministry. The purpose of the chapter is to facilitate communication of the priests and deacons with each other about pro-life concerns.

Our staff will be happy to meet with priests who, in union with their bishop, express an interest in having a Priests for Life Chapter in their diocese. Communication should be maintained between the Priests for Life Chapter, the local diocesan offices, and the Priests for Life National Office. The size of a diocese may dictate that there be several chapters in the one diocese, or, on the other hand, that a chapter include more than one adjoining diocese.

Regarding how the chapter and the meetings function, we encourage the maximum flexibility so that chapters can best serve local needs. One Priests for Life Chapter, for example, meets on the second Wednesday of each month at a local Church. The meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. with a brief prayer service. Then, a member or a guest offers a reflection on a current life issue. At 11:00 a.m., there is exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed by a half-hour of silent adoration which concludes with Benediction. At 11:30 a.m. the members move to a meeting room in the rectory for a discussion prompted either by the preceding reflection or by another life issue. The gathering ends with lunch in the rectory dining room.

Does Priests for Life Believe in the Consistent Ethic of Life?

Because of our focus on abortion and euthanasia, I am sometimes asked this question. But consistency is not just something we "believe" in; it is something we are all obliged to! Consistency demands that we recognize the sanctity of the human person, whoever and wherever that person may be, and whatever evil is threatening that dignity.

So the answer to the question is a resounding Yes!

Because of some misunderstandings of the consistent ethic, however, it is important to note that Priests for Life understands this phrase in the context of what the United States bishops have said about it on more than one occasion. In the 1985 Reaffirmation of the Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, the bishops wrote, "Because victims of abortion are the most vulnerable and defenseless members of the human family, it is imperative that we, as Christians called to serve the least among us, give urgent attention and priority to this issue of justice….This focus and the Church's firm commitment to a consistent ethic of life complement each other. A consistent ethic, far from diminishing concern for abortion or equating all issues touching on the dignity of human life, recognizes the distinctive character of each issue while giving each its proper role within a coherent moral vision"(p.3-4).

Furthermore, in their 1989 Resolution on Abortion, the bishops called this tragedy the fundamental human rights issue of our day for all people of good will. The fundamental nature of the abortion tragedy was again stressed in the Bishops' 1998 document, Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics.

As Cardinal Joseph Bernardin pointed out, having a consistent ethic certainly cannot mean that specific groups must actively address every issue that impacts on human life. Such an approach is simply impossible. What it does mean, however, is that in the marvelous unity of the Body of Christ, each part does the work assigned to it, while rejoicing in and affirming the work of all the other parts.

(See www.priestsforlife.org/consistentethic for more information.)

Pro-Life: A Positive, Joyful Ministry

We invite you to read the literature of Priests for Life to appreciate the tone and the themes that we are convinced should mark the pro-life movement. The compassion and practical love for mothers in need, and the understanding we seek to foster even among those who promote abortion, are prominent among them, as is the forgiveness the Church offers to those who have participated in abortions.

We welcome your involvement in this growing ministry.

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