| When American political life becomes an experiment on people rather
than for and by them, it will no longer be worth conducting. We are
arguably moving closer to that day. (4) |
| [A]bortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human
dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental
human good and the condition for all others. They are committed against
those who are weakest and most defenseless, those who are genuinely "the
poorest of the poor." (5) |
| [W]e write therefore today to call our fellow citizens back to our
country's founding principles, and most especially to renew our national
respect for the rights of those who are unborn, weak, disabled and
terminally ill. (6) |
| The inherent value of human life, at every stage and in every
circumstance, is not a sectarian issue any more than the Declaration of
Independence is a sectarian creed. (6) |
| [W]e call on U.S. Catholics, especially those in positions of
leadership … to recover their identity as followers of Jesus Christ and
to be leaders in the renewal of American respect for the sanctity of
life. (7) |
| No one, least of all someone who exercises leadership in society,
can rightfully claim to share fully and practically the Catholic faith
and yet act publicly in a way contrary to that faith. (7) |
| We cannot simultaneously commit ourselves to human rights and
progress while eliminating or marginalizing the weakest among us. Nor
can we practice the Gospel of life only as a private piety. American
Catholics must live it vigorously and publicly, as a matter of national
leadership and witness, or we will not live it at all. (20) |
| Bringing a respect for human dignity to practical politics can be a
daunting task. There is such a wide spectrum of issues involving the
protection of human life and the promotion of human dignity. Good people
frequently disagree on which problems to address, which policies to
adopt and how best to apply them. But for citizens and elected officials
alike, the basic principle is simple: We must begin with a commitment
never to intentionally kill, or collude in the killing, of any innocent
human life, no matter how broken, unformed, disabled or desperate that
life may seem. (21) |
| Adopting a consistent ethic of life, the Catholic Church promotes a
broad spectrum of issues….Catholic public officials are obliged to
address each of these issues as they seek to build consistent policies
which promote respect for the human person at all stages of life. But
being 'right' in such matters can never excuse a wrong choice regarding
direct attacks on innocent human life. Indeed, the failure to protect
and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims
to the 'rightness' of positions in other matters affecting the poorest
and least powerful of the human community. (23) |
| If we understand the human person as the "temple of the Holy Spirit"
-- the living house of God -- then these latter issues fall logically
into place as the crossbeams and walls of that house. All direct attacks
on innocent human life, such as abortion and euthanasia, strike at the
house's foundation. These directly and immediately violate the human
person's most fundamental right the right to life. Neglect of these
issues is the equivalent of building our house on sand. (23) |
| American Catholics have long sought to assimilate into U.S. cultural
life. But in assimilating, we have too often been digested. We have been
changed by our culture too much, and we have changed it not enough. (25) |
| Catholic public officials who disregard Church teaching on the
inviolability of the human person indirectly collude in the taking of
innocent life. (29) |
| For our part we commend Catholic and other public officials who,
with courage and determination, use their positions of leadership to
promote respect for all human life. (31) |
| We urge those Catholic officials who choose to depart from Church
teaching on the inviolability of human life in their public life to
consider the consequences for their own spiritual well being, as well as
the scandal they risk by leading others into serious sin. We call on
them to reflect on the grave contradiction of assuming public roles and
presenting themselves as credible Catholics when their actions on
fundamental issues of human life are not in agreement with Church
teaching. (32) |
| No public official, especially one claiming to be a faithful and
serious Catholic, can responsibly advocate for or actively support
direct attacks on innocent human life. (32) |
| The Gospel of Life must be proclaimed, and human life defended, in
all places and all times. The arena for moral responsibility includes
not only the halls of government, but the voting booth as well. (33) |
| Laws that permit abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are
profoundly unjust, and we should work peacefully and tirelessly to
oppose and change them. Because they are unjust they cannot bind
citizens in conscience, be supported, acquiesced in, or recognized as
valid. (33) |
| We encourage all citizens, particularly Catholics, to embrace their
citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an opportunity
meaningfully to participate in building the culture of life. Every voice
matters in the public forum. Every vote counts. Every act of responsible
citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power. (34) |
| [W]e urge our fellow citizens to see beyond party politics, to
analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political
leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere
self-interest. (34) |
| Freedom always implies the ability to choose between two roads: one
which leads to life; the other, death (Dt 30:19). It is now our turn to
choose. (39) |