“America, you are beautiful! Beautiful and blessed in so many ways. Your best beauty, you’re richest blessing is found in the human person. The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being but especially the weakest most defenseless ones. If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace then, America, defend life!”
— St. John Paul II, Apostolic Visit to US, 1987
Inspired by Saint Pope John Paul II, the Chesterton Schools Network takes as its motto Cultura Vitae, the culture of life. Every Chesterton school makes it its mission to prepare their students to triumph over the materialism and despair that pervade our culture and to accept our Lord's offer to have life and have it abundantly.
In a world where the words “pro-life” creates tension and division, it is important that we, as Catholics, are able to understand the teachings of our faith and embrace the love and compassion needed to celebrate and defend life at all stages. Evangelium Vitae, translated in English as 'The Gospel of Life', is a papal encyclical by Pope John Paul II, published on March 25th, 1995. It is a comprehensive document re-affirming the teaching of the Catholic Church on the sanctity of human life and related issues including murder, abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment. It is from this document that the phrase "culture of life" was born:
“….our support and promotion of human life must be accomplished through the service of charity, which finds expression in personal witness, various forms of volunteer work, social activity and political commitment. This is a particularly pressing need at the present time, when the "culture of death" so forcefully opposes the "culture of life" and often seems to have the upper hand. But even before that, it is a need which springs from “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6)… In our service of charity, we must be inspired and distinguished by a specific attitude: we must care for the other as a person for whom God has made us responsible. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to become neighbors to everyone (cf. Lk 10:29-37), and to show special favor to those who are poorest, most alone and most in need. In helping the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigner, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned--as well as the child in the womb and the old person who is suffering or near death--we have the opportunity to serve Jesus… Where life is involved, the service of charity must be profoundly consistent. It cannot tolerate bias and discrimination, for human life is sacred and inviolable at every stage and in every situation; it is an indivisible good. We need then to "show care" for all life and for the life of everyone. Indeed, at an even deeper level, we need to go to the very roots of life and love. (Article 87)
As Catholic leaders and volunteers across the country prepare in the coming week for the March of Life and 9 Days for Life, we take this time to reflect on the meaning of building a culture of life and pray that we can hear and follow God’s direction in building one within our families, schools, communities and society.
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