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THE CONFERENCE:(11/2008) (1/06) Statement (2/05) -Capitol Correspondent:
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Nebraska Catholics for LIFE Volume 3, Issue 3, Dec. 2004 | Volume 3, Issue 2, Sept. 2004| Volume 3, Issue 1 March 2004 | Volume 2, Issue 1 January 2003 | Volume 2, Issue 2 April-June 2003 | Volume 2, Issue 3, November 2003 | Pray Rosary for Life: The Luminous Mysteries This wonderful pro-life meditation on the Luminous Mysteries is available online at:: www.usccb.org/prolife/liturgy/04rllitGuide.pdf (scroll down to page 10 in the document) or from Greg Schleppenbach’s office at 402/477-7517. Family Apostolate for Life The pro-life committee at St. John’s parish in Lincoln developed this apostolate to help in nurturing holiness and transforming hearts first within the individual, then the family and home, then throughout society. Copies of the brochure are available from Greg Schleppenbach’s office or online at www.nebcathcon.org/bpppla.htm.
Think Our Pro Life Vision and the Tools to Get Us There, Part One By Greg Schleppenbach A Look Back It has been nearly thirty two years since the U.S. Supreme Court usurped the legislative process and imposed legalized abortion on demand upon this nation. Not only has Roe v Wade (and its companion Doe v Bolton) resulted in an estimated 45 million dead babies and wounded mothers, it has, in the words of Blessed Mother Teresa, “deformed a great nation.” Many good efforts by the pro-life movement have mitigated this evil practice: the formation of several thousand pregnancy help centers; the massive educational efforts reinforcing the humanity of the unborn child and the harm abortion inflicts upon mothers, fathers and others; the post-abortion outreach of hope and healing through Project Rachel and related ministries; and the public policy efforts to protect unborn human life to the fullest extent allowed under the regime of Roe v Wade. These efforts are not insignificant, and it’s unimaginable where our nation would be without these efforts pushing back against the culture of death. Yet the attacks against human life are expanding (e.g. assisted suicide/euthanasia, embryonic stem cell and cloning research), and are in some ways worse. The Roots that Produce the Weed It is my view that one of the main reasons the pro-life movement has not had more success in protecting human life is that it has largely prosecuted this battle without a clear understanding that abortion and similar attacks are symptoms of deeper problems. Consequently, these deeper problems have largely been ignored. Almost 10 years ago, Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, illuminated these deeper problems in his extraordinary encyclical Evangelium vitae (“The Gospel of Life”). Nothing in my 14 years as state director of the Bishops’ Pro Life Program has transformed my thinking more and given me more insight into the battle between the culture of death and the culture of life than this encyclical. To more easily comprehend these deeper problems and the manifestations they produce, check out the enclosed “Dandelion and Rose” poster. The philosophical roots of the culture of death (represent-ed by the Dandelion) include a distorted view of freedom marked by radical individualism (self-centeredness, ignorance of neighbors and duties to them); relativism (no recognition of moral absolutes or objective truth); and materialism (valuing “having” over “being”). The deepest root, however, is “the eclipse of the sense of God and man, typical of a social and cultural climate dominated by secularism.” Our Holy Father speaks of this deepest root as a “vicious circle”: If our relationship with God our Creator is weak, our understanding and appreciation of human life (made in His image and likeness) is also weak. If we don’t appreciate the meaning and value of human life, we are more likely to violate its dignity. Violating the dignity of human life, like all sin, darkens our intellect and will making it harder to know and love God—thus completing the “vicious circle.”Returning to the dandelion poster, the manifestations or weeds that are produced by these roots include abortion, artificial reproductive technologies, embryo-destructive research, cloning, divorce, breakdown of the family, child abuse and neglect, among others. Understanding the roots of the culture of death is critical to understanding how to attack those roots and rebuild a culture of life and love. The Vision Proclaiming the Gospel of life In laying out his vision for a new culture of life, Pope John Paul II recalls our “duty to preach the Gospel of life, to celebrate it in the liturgy and in our whole existence, and to serve it with the various programs and structures which support and promote life.” (Evangelium vitae #79) “We need to bring the Gospel of Life to the heart of every man and woman and to make it penetrate every part of society. This involves above all proclaiming the core of this Gospel. It is the proclamation of a living God who is close to us, who calls us to profound communion with himself and awakens in us the certain hope of eternal life. It is the affirmation of the inseparable connection between the person, his life and his bodiliness. “It is the presentation of human life as a life of relationship, a gift of God, the fruit and sign of his love. It is the proclamation that Jesus has a unique relationship with every person which enables us to see in every human face the face of Christ. It is the call for a ‘sincere gift of self’ as the fullest way to realize our personal freedom…The meaning of life is found in giving and receiving love, and in this light human sexuality and procreation reach their true and full significance. Love also gives meaning to suffering and death; despite the mystery which surrounds them, they can become saving events.” (Evangelium vitae #81) Since the deepest root of the culture of death is alienation from God (spiritual poverty), it’s not surprising that evangelization (proclaiming the Gospel of life) would be at the top of the Pope’s list for forming a new culture of human life. My 14 years of experience battling the culture of death confirms the Holy Father’s conclusion that at its deepest levels, the battle is spiritual, not intellectual. If we do not have a healthy relationship with God, we are not likely to fully appreciate or respect the value and meaning of human life made in His image. Conversely, the deeper and healthier our relationship is with God, the deeper and more profound will be our appreciation and respect for human life. Therefore, the most basic, yet profound, pro-life activity we can pursue as individuals is to grow in holiness and to radiate that holiness to those around us. The beauty and allure of a holy life will open more doors and hearts to objective truth and authentic love than the most compelling and eloquent words. The Tools There are many ways to deepen our relationship with God, such as a weekly holy hour, fasting and a daily Rosary. But the most profound way is daily (or frequent) reception of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Savior in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. After all, the Mass is the source and summit of our faith. There are also numerous activities my office promotes to foster spiritual renewal. For example, Intercessors for Life is a project that asks individuals to commit to pray and fast one day a week for success in forming a new culture of human life. The Abortion Center Prayer Project provides parishes with prayer cards that ask God for the conversion of Nebraska’s abortionists and their staff and for the closure of the three abortion centers. The Family Apostolate for Life provides suggestions to families for nurturing holiness within the individual, the family and throughout society. Finally, every year my office sponsors a Vigil Mass and All Night Eucharistic Adoration on the night prior to the Walk for Life in Lincoln (see enclosed flier). This Mass and adoration (beginning at 7:00 pm at St. Mary’s Church in Lincoln on January 28, 2005) is offered in reparation for the sin of abortion. Our Lord said that there are certain kinds of demons that do not leave but by prayer and fasting. Certainly, the destruction of innocent human life is such a demon. Therefore, our efforts to form a new culture of human life will be fruitful only if they are firmly rooted in prayer and fasting. [Our Vision and the Tools to Get Us There will continue in the next issue of this newsletter]
How About Some Good News!
President Reagan’s Son Coming to Omaha Michael Reagan, son of the late President Ronald Reagan, will be the featured speaker at a fundraising dinner for the Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research. The event will be held on Thursday, January 13, 6:30 pm at the Holiday Inn, 72nd and Grover, in Omaha. Since President Reagan’s death, Michael Reagan has been outspoken about his—and his father’s—opposition to the destruction of human embryos for research. Please support NCER by attending and promoting this event. Enclosed is a registration form, a bulletin attachment (in two different sizes) and a bulletin announcement. Walk for Life The annual Walk for Life in Lincoln is Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 am on the west steps of the State Capitol and is sponsored by Nebraska Right to Life (402-438-4802). Vigil Mass and Youth Lock-In On Friday January 28, 7:00 p.m., the 3rd annual Vigil Mass of Reparation, All-night Eucharistic Adoration and Youth Lock-In will be held at St. Mary’s Church, 14th & K Sts. in Lincoln. PLEASE use the enclosed flier to promote this event with your school or religious education representatives and encourage high school students to attend the lock-in. Also, let Greg Schleppenbach’s office know (402-477-7517) if you and/or a group from your parish wish to sign up for an hour of adoration.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESv Effective Responses to Attacks on Abstinence Education Abstinence education has recently been attacked by a pro-abortion member of Congress. Melissa Pardue, a policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, has written a very extensive response to the charges. This is good ammunition for defending abstinence education. Her report is available online at www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/wm615.cfm or from Greg Schleppenbach’s office (402-477-7517).
v New Brochures on Stem Cells and Cloning Two excellent and easy-to-understand brochures on the science and ethics of stem cell and cloning research are available from Greg Schleppenbach’s office or on the Nebraska Catholic Conference website at:: U www.nebcathcon.org/stem_cell_research.htm#Stem%20 Cell%20Cloning U www.nebcathcon.org/stem_cell_research.htm#Science-Weldon v For an extensive list of pro-life websites go to www.nebcathcon.org/bpppla.htm
Nebraska Catholics for LIFE Volume 3, Issue 4, Sept. 2004| Volume 3, Issue 1 March 2004 | Volume 3, Issue 3 Dec. 2004 | Volume 2, Issue 1 January 2003 | Volume 2, Issue 2 April-June 2003 | Volume 2, Issue 3, November 2003 | Pray “Certain kinds of demons do not leave but by prayer and fasting” --Mt. 17:21 Pray and fast for the November 2nd elections so that God will bless us with elected officials who will uphold the sacred dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Some suggested prayer initiatives are available from the following organizations: Priests for Life (718) 980-4400 or Priests for Life Youth of the Pro Sanctity Movement’s Nineveh Journey: (402)289-2670 or www.ninevehjourney.org / www.prosanctity.org
Think Generation Y: Hope for our FutureThe growing threats to the sanctity of human life and the institution of marriage make it hard to understand how Pope John Paul II could refer to the 21st Century as a “springtime” in the Church. Perhaps it is what he sees in today’s youth that prompted our Holy Father to make this prediction. According to extensive research, young people offer much hope to our effort to rebuild a culture of life and love. Who is Gen Y?Generation Y, also known as the Millennials and Echo Boomers, are those persons between the ages of 9 and 24—considered to be the children of the Baby Boomers. They are 60 million strong. That’s almost four times the number of the current Generation X at 17 million, between ages 25 and 39. What Do They Believe?
How Do We Reach Gen Y?When asked where they would go for information on abortion, the answer was almost unanimous, “I’d turn on my computer.” Based on this research the Vitae Caring Foundation has produced a compelling new website to communicate with this generation: www.GravityTeen.com. Culture of Death Also Seeks Gen Y There is much potential to rebuild a culture of life and love through Generation Y, but it will not be easy. Massively funded pro-abortion groups are also targeting Gen Y through the internet. For example, Planned Parenthood’s offensive teen website, teenwire.com, degrades human sexuality and effectively treats teens like animals. We can and must overcome such destructive influences by forming children well in faith and virtue and by empowering this generation’s pro-life and pro-family inclinations. v Federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Struck DownIn the most infamous partial-birth abortion method, a living fetus (usually 20 weeks gestation or older) is removed feet-first from the womb and delivered except for the head. The abortionist pierces the child’s skull with scissors, inserts a catheter, sucks out the brain, and completes the delivery of a now-dead child. PBA practitioners admit it usually is performed on healthy mothers and babies, for non-medical reasons.In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Nebraska’s PBA ban unconstitutional, effectively nullifying about 26 similar state bans. The Court cited two “flaws”: the definition of a partial-birth abortion was “vague” and might also outlaw dismemberment abortion, the most common method used to kill later term babies; and the ban contained no “health” exception. The health exception is a farce. As created by the Supreme Court in Doe v. Bolton, the health exception includes “all factors—physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age.” It’s an exception that swallows the rule—so broad that you could drive a truck, or a fully formed unborn baby, right through it. The federal ban, adopted by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, attempted to correct these two “flaws”. It contains a more precise definition of the procedure and contains findings, based on extensive hearings with medical experts, that the PBA procedure is never necessary to preserve a woman’s health. Nonetheless, the very day President Bush signed the bill into law, its enforcement was blocked by courts in New York, Nebraska and California. All three judges have now struck the Act down as unconstitutional. WHAT’S NEXT? The next stage of judicial review will be to ask the Court of Appeal in each jurisdiction to review these rulings. The Courts of Appeal can uphold these lower court rulings or overturn them. If the Courts of Appeal disagree in their rulings, the Supreme Court will likely take the case. If all three Courts of Appeal uphold the lower court rulings, it is possible the Supreme Court will refuse to take the case. If the case does make it to the Supreme Court, its fate will likely depend upon who is on the Court at that time. SILVER LINING? Regardless of the outcome, the silver lining is that the debate over partial-birth abortion may be a factor driving public opinion in favor of the pro-life position. It reveals to Americans just how extreme and unfettered the abortion license is in our nation. And it graphically confronts our nation with the unmistakable reality that abortion destroys a human being, pure and simple. Any pretense denying this reality has been shattered by the abortionists’ own testimony in these cases describing (with chilling candor) techniques that brutally dismember unborn children or deliver them feet first up to the neck before stabbing them in the head and sucking out their brains.
U.S. Law and Abortion
The central court decision that created current abortion law in the U.S. is Roe v. Wade.1 In this 1973 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that women had a constitutional right to abortion, and that this right was based on an implied right to personal privacy emanating from the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments.2
Roe v. Wade was modified by another case decided the same day, Doe v. Bolton.5 In Doe v. Bolton the Court ruled that a woman's right to an abortion could not be limited by the state if abortion was sought for reasons of maternal health. The Court defined health as "all factors - physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the well-being of the patient."6 This health exception expanded the right to abortion for any reason through all three trimesters of pregnancy.
The law on abortion was further clarified in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.7 In this 1992 case the Court said states could regulate abortion to require parental involvement when minors were involved, require a waiting period between seeking and obtaining an abortion, and require doctors to provide detailed medical information before obtaining consent for the abortion. The Doe v. Bolton health exception to abortion restrictions throughout pregnancy was not altered.
In 2000 the Supreme Court again ruled on abortion in Stenberg v. Carhart.8 Here the Court said that a state could not prohibit the late-term abortion procedure called partial birth abortion. Notes: 1. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 162 (1973). 2. "The Constitution does not explicitly mention any right of privacy," but the Court has found "at least the roots of that right" in the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments, and in the penumbras of the Bill of Rights. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. at 129. 3. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 151. "If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life would then be guaranteed specifically." Id. at 157. "The Constitution does not define 'person' in so many words," but none of the instances of its use "indicates, with any assurance, that it has any possible pre-natal application." Id. at 158. Therefore, "the word 'person,' as used in the Fourteenth Amendment, does not include the unborn." Id. at 159. 4. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. at 165-66. 5. Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 178, 192 (1973). 6. Doe v Bolton, 410 U.S. at 193. 7. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992). 8. Stenberg v Carhart, 530 U.S. 914 (2000). Act!!! 1. Register to vote and urge others to do so. Voter registration applications (and absentee ballot requests) are easily obtainable by contacting the Secretary of State (402-471-2554; http://www.sos.state.ne.us/elec/ele_forms.html) or your county election official. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESWebsites: For an extensive list of pro-life websites go to www.nebcathcon.org/bpppla.htm
For Teens: v Truth Unmasked Interactive CD-ROM Research shows that most teenagers turn to their computers for information. Truth Unmasked is an interactive CD-ROM containing a wealth of information that refutes common myths about abortion with graphics, video clips and music exclusively by teens for teens. It is available for only $1.00 (plus shipping and handling ) from Life Issues Institute; 513-729-3600; info@lifeissues.org ; www.lifeissues.org v Book Covers: Pro-life book covers are available free of charge (thanks to donations from Catholic Daughters, DCCW’s and others) for students in grades 7 to 12. These book covers put useful pro-life resources right at the fingertips of students. Order from Greg Schleppenbach’s office at 402-477-7517 or gregschlepp@alltel.net
Nebraska Catholics for LIFE Volume 3, Issue 1 March 2004 |Volume 3, Issue 2 Sept. 2004 | Volume 3, Issue 3 Dec. 2004 |Volume 2, Issue 1 January 2003 | Volume 2, Issue 2 April-June 2003 | Volume 2, Issue 3, November 2003 | Pray "Certain kinds of demons do not leave but by prayer and fasting" --Mt. 17:21 Meditations for Pro Life Stations of the Cross (enclosed). Feel free to copy and distribute. Other available prayer resources: A Journey to Calvary The Way of the Cross for the Terminally Ill. Available online at http://www.usccb.org/prolife/liturgy/waycross.htm or by calling the Bishops’ Pastoral for Pro Life Activities office at 402-477-7517.Think Human Cloning: Another Plunge Down The Slippery SlopE – Greg SchleppenbachThe following Talking Points should clarify much of the confusion about cloning and equip you to effectively and confidently speak out against it.WHAT IS HUMAN CLONING?
HOW DOES CLONING (SCNT) WORK?
WHY CLONE HUMAN EMBRYOS?
IS THERE A SCIENTIFIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THERAPEUTIC CLONING AND REPRODUCTIVE CLONING? NO.
DOES HUMAN THERAPEUTIC CLONING PRODUCE A HUMAN EMBRYO? YES.
IS IT JUST RELIGIOUS OPINION THAT A HUMAN EMBRYO IS A HUMAN BEING?
THE MORAL CASE AGAINST HUMAN CLONING
v v v v Women Who Have Had Abortions Cite the Following Reasons:
Abortions occur at the following gestational times: 2
Current abortion rates
Notes Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 4, (July/August 1988). 2. The Alan Guttmacher Institute (1997), www.agi-usa.org. 3. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Induced Abortion" Facts in Brief (1997). 4. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Induced Abortion" Facts in Brief (2000). 5. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Abortion in Context: United States and Worldwide" Issues in Brief, 1999 No. 1 (1999). 6. The Alan Guttmacher Institute (1999), www.agi-usa.org.
NEBRASKA CLONING BAN FAILSA bill to ban all cloning of human embryos in Nebraska (LB 602) was introduced by Sen. Adrian Smith (Gering) and prioritized by Sen. Arnie Stuthman (Columbus) in the Legislature’s 2003 session. It was debated briefly and postponed until the 2004 session. On January 21 and 22, 2004, it was debated for a few hours before Sen. Smith called for a cloture vote to end the filibuster and then vote to advance the bill to second round debate (there are 3 rounds of debate before a bill can be enacted). A cloture vote is used to end filibustering by opponents and requires 33 votes. If a cloture vote fails, the bill is taken off the agenda, usually ending its consideration for the session. Therefore, voting against cloture on a bill is effectively a vote against the bill itself. Despite the fact that the bill had 35 co-sponsors, only 32 senators voted for cloture. The following senators voted for cloture and deserve our thanks.: Aguilar, Baker, Brashear, Bromm, Byars, Combs, Connealy, Cudaback, Cunningham, Engel, Erdman, Foley, Friend, Hudkins, Jensen, Jones, Kremer, Louden, Maxwell, Mossey, Dwite Pedersen, Priester, Quandahl, Redfield, Schrock, Smith, Stuhr, Stuthman, Synowiecki, Tyson, Vrtiska, Wehrbein. Senators voting against cloture: Beutler, Bourne, Brown, Chambers, Janssen, Johnson, Landis, Don Pederson, Price, Raikes, Schimek, Thompson. Senators present but not voting (equivalent to a no vote): Burling, Hartnett, Kruse, McDonald, Mines. If you are a constituent of one of these senators, please contact him/her and respectfully express your disappointment with his/her vote at: State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, 68509-4604 or e-mail: first letter of first name plus full last name followed by @unicam.state.ne.us. (e.g., mmines@unicam.state.ne.us) Of the senators voting no or not voting, five were co-sponsors of the bill: Bourne, Burling, Hartnett, McDonald, Mines. Senators Burling, McDonald and Mines indicated later that they support the bill, but wanted more debate before a cloture vote, even though they knew a failed cloture vote would effectively kill the bill. Much to his credit, Sen. Chip Maxwell agreed to use his 2004 priority designation to re-prioritize LB 602. This puts the bill back on the agenda. Unfortunately, it was prioritized late behind 35 other priority bills. Chances are slim that LB 602 will be debated again this year.
EDUCATIONAL SOURCES Websites: www.cloninginformation.org | www.ethicalresearch.net www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/index.htm www.nrlc.org/Killing_Embryos/index.html Other: A more complete list of Cloning Talking Points and other articles are available from Greg Schleppenbach’s office at 402-477-7517 or on-line: www.nebcathcon.org/bpppla.htm Robert George, Harvard Law Professor and member of President Bush’s Council on Bioethics will speak on cloning at Creighton University Law School in Omaha on Wednesday, March 24 at 7:00 pm. The same talk will be given at the University of Nebraska Law School in Lincoln on Thursday, March 25 at noon. For more information contact Greg Schleppenbach at 402-477-7517 or go online to www.nebcathcon.org/bpppla.htm Act!!!
Nebraska Catholics for LIFE Volume 2, Issue 3 | Volume 2, Issue 1 January 2003 | Volume 2, Issue 2 April-June 2003 | Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2004| Volume 3, Issue 2 Sept. 2004 | Volume 3, Issue 3 Dec. 2004 | Pray "Certain kinds of demons do not leave but by prayer and fasting" --Mt. 17:21 1. Pray the Prayer to Close Abortion Mills in Nebraska (can be obtained from your parish’s pro-life coordinator or Greg Schleppenbach’s office, 402-477-7517, gregschlepp@alltel.net). 2. The National Night of Prayer for Life will be held from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Monday, December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The vigil carries into Tuesday, Dec. 9th because it was on this day that Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Unborn) first appeared to St. Juan Diego. Contact your parish pro-life coordinator or Greg Schleppenbach for further information on this prayer vigil. At least consider making a holy hour during this time. Think John Paul II's Theology of the Body - CHRISTOPHER WEST What is marital spirituality? How does the family become authentically spiritual? For Pope John Paul II, the answers to these questions "of the spirit" are revealed in the body.This is what we learn from Pope John Paul II's "theology of the body." In this collection of 129 general audience addresses delivered early in his pontificate, Pope John Paul II developed what promises to be one of his most enduring contributions to the Church and the world. Establishing an authentic marital spirituality is essential if we are to restore the family and build a culture of life. How do we do it? According to the Holy Father, "Those who seek the accomplishment of their own human and Christian vocation in marriage are called, first of all, to make this 'theology of the body' . . . the content of their life and behavior" (April 2, 1980). The Pope's body language The Pope's thesis, if we let it sink in, is sure to revolutionize our understanding of the human body, sexuality and, in turn, marriage and family life. "The body, and it alone," John Paul says, "is capable of making visible what is invisible, the spiritual and divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world, the invisible mystery hidden in God from time immemorial, and thus to be a sign of it" (Feb. 20, 1980). A mouthful of scholarly verbiage, I know. What does it mean? As physical, bodily creatures we cannot see God. He's pure Spirit. But God wanted to make His mystery visible to us, so He stamped it into our bodies by creating us as male and female in His own image (cf. Gen. 1:27). The function of this image is to reflect the Trinity, "an inscrutable divine communion of [three] Persons" (November 14, 1979). John Paul thus concludes that "man became the 'image and likeness' of God not only through his own humanity, but also through the communion of persons which man and woman form right from the beginning." And, the Pope adds, "on all of this, right from 'the beginning,' there descended the blessing of fertility linked with human procreation" (ibid.). The body has a "nuptial meaning" because it reveals man and woman's call to become a gift for one another, a gift fully realized in their "one flesh" union. The body also has a "generative meaning," which (God willing) brings a "third" into the world through the couple's communion. In this way, marriage constitutes a "primordial sacrament" understood as a sign that truly communicates the mystery of God's Trinitarian life and love to husband and wife, and through them to their children, and through the family to the whole world. This is what marital spirituality is all about: partici-pating in God's life and love and sharing it with the world. While this is certainly a sublime calling, it's not ethereal. It's tangible. God's love is meant to be lived and felt in daily life as a married couple and as a family. How? By living according to the full truth of the body."In fact, how indispensable," our Holy Father insists, "is thorough knowledge of the meaning of the body, in its masculinity and femininity, along the way of this vocation! How necessary is a precise awareness of the nuptial meaning of the body, of its generative meaning — since all that which forms the content of the life of married couples must constantly find its full and personal dimension in life together, in behavior, in feelings!" (April 2, 1980). Embodied spirituality One of the greatest threats facing the Church today is a "spiritualism" in which people disembody their call to holiness. Living a spiritual life never means eschewing our bodies. Authentic spirituality is always an embodied spirituality. This is the very "logic" of Christianity. God communicates His life to us in and through the body — in and through the Word made flesh. The spirit that denies this "incarnational reality" is that of the anti-Christ (cf. 1 Jn. 4:2-3). Pope John Paul II teaches us that the human body — in the beauty of sexual difference and our call to nuptial union — possesses a "language" inscribed by God that not only proclaims His eternal mystery, but makes that mystery present to us. If there is an enemy of God who wants to keep us from God's life and love, where, then, would he go to do it? Satan's goal is to scramble the language of our bodies! And look how successful he's been. Because of Satan's scheme, most of us are illiterate when it comes to reading the language of the body. How many of us, for example, think that our bodies are the last place to look for the revelation of God's mystery? Building an authentic spirituality In order to build an authentic marital spirituality, we must learn to read the true language of the body. We must pray for the eyes to see God's mystery revealed through our bodies and through the marital union itself. Sin is what blinds us: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (cf. 1 Jn. 2:16). In talking about the love between man and woman, we must contend primarily with the lust of the flesh. Marriage in no way "legitimizes" lust. Men and women are called by the power of the Holy Spirit to experience a "real and deep" victory over lust. Through the "redemption of our bodies," the Holy Spirit impregnates sexual desire "with everything that is noble and beautiful," with "the supreme value which is love" (October 22, 29, 1980). This is how husbands and wives build an authentic spirituality: by loving one another according to the Holy Spirit in and through their bodies. Marital love is shown in numerous ways, but spouses who are filled with the Spirit realize "among the possible manifestations of affection, the singular, or rather, exceptional significance of [the conjugal] act" (November 21, 1984). They come to understand that their sexual union "bears in itself the sign of the great mystery of creation and redemption" (November 14, 1984). In a word, they come to understand that their union is "Eucharistic." When we receive the Eucharist worthily, it bears new life in the whole of our lives. When we receive it unworthily, we eat and drink our condemnation (cf. 1 Cor. 11:29). Similarly, when spouses open their union to the Holy Spirit, their whole marriage continually bears new life in the Spirit. However, if spouses close their union to the Spirit, they undermine the whole reality of their marriage and their family life. One of the primary ways we remain open to the Spirit is by remaining open to children. Who is the Holy Spirit but the Lord and giver of life? Those couples who close their union to children at the same time close their union to the Holy Spirit. Their union is no longer a sign of God's Trinitarian love but, in fact, becomes a counter-sign of it. This is why Pope John Paul II says that the antithesis of conjugal spirituality consists in the subjective lack of this understanding of the dignity of the conjugal act, which is linked to contraceptive practice and the contraceptive mentality (cf. November 21, 1984)." For those who are filled with the Holy Spirit, contraception is simply unthinkable. They know it replaces the true language of the body with a lie. And lying within the heart of marital intimacy has a ripple effect, as does speaking the truth. Spouses who strive to speak honestly in the nuptial embrace also strive to be open and honest with each other in the other areas of their married life. As professor Mary Rousseau expresses it, when spouses live an authentic spirituality, "the love that marks their marital bed spreads . . . into the kitchen, the yard, the supermarket, the workplace, and beyond. Their love eventually spreads throughout the world, into the realms of politics, work, education, entertainment, health care, and international relations. Such is the exact process by which the civilization of love comes to be" (Chicago Studies, Vol. 39:2, p. 175). Sign of dignity This is why, according to Pope John Paul II, education in the theology of the body "constitutes . . . the essential nucleus of conjugal spirituality" (October 3, 1984). This education is a clarion call not to become more "spiritual" but to become more incarnational — to allow the Holy Spirit to impregnate our bodies with divine life. v v v v Excerpted from "John Paul II's Theology of the Body", Christopher West, Lay Witness (June, 2001). This article is reprinted with permission from Lay Witness magazine, a publication of Catholics United for the Faith. BEGOTTEN NOT MADE: What the Church Says About Reproductive TechnologyBy Greg Schleppenbach "Woman gives birth to own grandkids" read the headline to an Omaha World-Herald story (10-20-02) about a woman who served as a surrogate mother to the twin daughters of her daughter. Another story about in vitro fertilization (producing human embryos in a petri dish) and surrogate motherhood appeared a few weeks ago in the Lincoln Journal-Star (3-9-03). These stories are about bringing forth new life; they speak of the miracle of life. So what could possibly be wrong with that? Given the good end of new human life and the intense sorrow that often accompanies the inability to conceive or bear a child, who wants to be the one to point out that the good end of having children cannot be achieved by any and all means? Certainly, it is praiseworthy to seek ways to overcome infertility (and moral means do exist), but there are limits to acceptable methods for conceiving a child. Church Teaching A 1987 Vatican document, entitled Donum Vitae, explains those limits. Generally speaking, it teaches that if a given medical intervention assists the marriage act to achieve pregnancy, it may be considered moral; if the intervention replaces the marriage act in order to engender life, it is not moral. "Human beings bear the image and likeness of God," says John Haas, PhD., S.T.L. in his article "Begotten Not Made" (1999 Respect Life Program). "They are to be reverenced as sacred. Never are they to be used as a means to an end, not even to satisfy the deepest wishes of an infertile couple. Husbands and wives ‘make love,’ they do not ‘make babies.’ They give expression to their love for one another, and a child may or may not be engendered by that act of love. The marital act is not a manufacturing process, and children are not products. Like the Son of God himself, we are the kind of beings who are ‘begotten, not made’ and, therefore, of equal status and dignity with our parents." The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift. The ‘supreme gift of marriage’ is a human person. A child may not be considered a piece of property, an idea to which an alleged ‘right to a child’ would lead. In this area, only the child possesses genuine rights: the right ‘to be the fruit of the specific act of the conjugal love of his parents,’ and ‘the right to be respected as a person from the moment of his conception.’" Unfortunately, most Catholics are not aware of the Church’s teaching that many reproductive technologies (such as in vitro fertilization or IVF) are immoral, and some have used them in attempting to have children. As Dr. Haas points out, "[i]f a couple is unaware that the procedure is immoral, they are not subjectively guilty of sin. Children conceived through this procedure are [obviously] children of God and…[l]ike all children, regardless of the circumstances of their conception and birth…should be loved, cherished and cared for." Why is IVF immoral? In vitro fertilization requires obtaining eggs from a woman and sperm from the man and joining them in a petri dish to produce embryos that are implanted in the woman. Clearly, in vitro fertilization eliminates or replaces the marriage act as the means of bringing about new human life. This is not what God intended. God designed one context worthy of the dignity of the conception of a new human being: the loving act of intercourse between a husband and wife. God designed this act with two essential and inseparable elements: unitive and procreative. That is, the marital act must unite husband and wife in one flesh (unitive) and it must be a total (unimpeded) gift of self which is always open to the possibility of new life (procreative). God’s very life as a relationship of persons (the Trinity) provides the model for this teaching. The love between Father and Son is so real and without limit that another Person proceeds from this union of love: the Holy Spirit. Morally Acceptable Interventions Fortunately for those who experience infertility, there are morally acceptable interventions to overcome this problem. For example, Dr. Haas points out that "surgery can overcome tubal blockages in the male or female reproductive system which prevent fertilization from taking place. |
