Right to Life

CATHOLIC CHURCH DOCUMENTS ON THE NON-NEGOTIABLE RIGHT TO LIFE

When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of [the] state…are undermined.

Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: No one can under any circumstances claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.

Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.

God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. Jeremiah 1:5

Entire text taken directly from Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2273, 2258, 2270, 2271. [Emphasis added]

 

Related Articles: articles from the Life category.

Battling the Culture of Death with the Weapons of Faith - Thursday, April 18, 2013

By Adriana Gonzalez

What happens when one individual, in prayer, feels the tug of God and dares to step out of the boat and onto the water? This is the story of María José Mansilla, a woman from Madrid, Spain, who felt God leading her in a new direction in Spain’s pro-life movement and is now being used as an instrument of God to help awaken God’s people.

In 1985, abortion became legal in Spain. Since that time, the pro-life efforts have been led by non-religious organizations. The individuals leading the organizations have been Catholic, but the strategy has been to separate the Church from the battle. After working many years in the non-religious pro-life movement, Mansilla felt God leading her in a new direction. She describes it as a faith walk: “I began to realize that only God saves. If we do not fight against the culture of death with the weapons of faith, we have no hope.”

Mansilla then founded a faith-based organization called Spei Mater, an affiliate of Human Life International, and began her work of battling the culture of death under the Christian banner.… Read the rest

Why the Media is Afraid of Dr. Gosnell - Tuesday, April 16, 2013

By Patti Maguire Armstrong (The Integrated Catholic Life)

There has been an outcry against the media silence of perhaps one of the most horrific, under-reported story in modern times: Dr. Kermit Gosnell and his abortion clinic now known as “The House of Horrors.”

The only national TV source has been Fox News while the three major networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS continue to ignore it.  After intense public pressure, CNN finally reported on it last Friday.  This lack of interest is odd given the typical formula for news reporting: If it bleeds, it leads.  Curiosity mixed with revulsion draws audiences.  The Gosnell story can barely be topped on the revulsion index: dead babies, victimized women, racism, horrifying visuals, and extreme governmental failures.

Case Summary

If you are not familiar with the story, here is a brief summary.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, is charged with first-degree murder of seven babies born alive, and one woman patient.… Read the rest