RESPECT LIFE OVERVIEW

The Respect Life Office serves the Church of Worcester by striving to build a culture of life, and upholding and promoting the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. We work to implement the guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, in which we are called upon as Church, with our resources, our people, our services and institutions, to pursue the cause of life with renewed energy and commitment. Through prayer, education, pastoral care, and public policy advocacy, we work to proclaim the Gospel of Life in our midst throughout all ages and stages of life. By working together diligently, prayerfully, and courageously in the Lord’s service, the culture of death that surrounds us today will one day be replaced with a culture of life.

The Massachusetts State Legislature is considering passing into law two deeply troubling bills this session which would legalize Physician Assisted Suicide.

The bills, House 2381 and Senate 1384, are identical in text and titled “An Act relative to end of life options”.

 “The Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts stand united in our strong opposition to Physician Assisted Suicide.  It is an affront to life and a dangerous precedent for determining end of life issues. Physicians are trained to care for the ill, not to hasten death.”

Here are some facts to consider before you take action:

1. The bills would allow a physician to provide a deadly drug mixture to an individual diagnosed with less than 6 months to live that, when consumed, would cause death. NOTE- That diagnosis could be wrong. Countless individuals have outlived that 6 month diagnosis and enjoyed many more precious months and years with family and friends.
2. No Real Safeguards - A vulnerable individual (who could be depressed or fears being a “burden”) may be subject to undue influence by others to take the drug mixture, especially if there is a financial benefit as an incentive.
3. The primary focus of elected officials should be dedicated to legislation providing quality health care, mental health care and palliative care to the sick and dying – particularly in the underserved, poor and minority communities that suffer the most at the time of need.

• Your individual State Senator and Representative via address and zip code link.
• Members of the legislative Joint Committee on Public Health who will be considering these bills.

"True compassion leads to sharing another’s pain;
it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.”

~ Saint John Paul II

All of the articles and other resources are available in English and Spanish and are accessible in multiple formats.  CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RESPECT LIFE PROGRAM.

Here are some ideas for celebrating Respect Life Sunday and highlighting God's gift of Life in October and all year long:

• Display the theme poster on a parish bulletin board or other suitable place.
• Duplicate the theme reflection flyer and insert in the parish bulletin.
• Utilize the new "Article of the Month" series on various life issues topics at different times throughout the year - as a monthly educational bulletin insert, as a tool for discussion in classrooms or study groups, as an informational handout for catechists or other parish leaders, or for personal enrichment and reflection.
• Utilize the beautiful graphics which illustrate this year's theme in parish bulletins, on websites, or in your social media posts. Be sure to link to www.respectlife.org when you post!
• Pray for a renewed respect for human life all year long with the many prayer resources available.

• Leaders' Tool Kits with helpful resources for specific ministries: Priests and Deacons, Catholic Education, Faith Formation, and Youth Ministry.

Your voice could help save millions of lives! The Hyde Amendment has protected Americans from funding abortion for 45 years. It’s credited with saving the lives of over 2.4 million children to date.
 
Now, powerful members of Congress want to take away this law that both Democrats and Republicans have supported for nearly half a century. Without it, billions of taxpayer dollars could go to abortion. That means abortions would be cheaper, easier, and funded with our taxpayer dollars.
 
It is critically important for Catholics to send a strong message before Congress moves forward to impose taxpayer-funded abortion. Because of the incredibly high stakes Congress needs to hear from a massive number of people.  Please join our diocesan response to this nationwide effort by the USCCB, set for the first week of June. The primary goal is for millions of Catholics to sign the petition on NoTaxpayerAbortion.com.
 
The USCCB has created easy, ready-to-use tools that can be found at respectlife.org/no-taxpayer-abortion. These include a sample announcement (below), graphics, flyer, and infographic, making the message easy to convey through parish bulletins, websites, email notices, social media, etc.
 

Stop your tax dollars from
going to abortion.
 
www.NoTaxpayerAbortion.com

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"Working for a culture of life and love, we know that we can rely on the help of God,
for whom nothing is impossible."

~ St. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, n. 100
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