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July 6 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
For all who are haunted by the memory of abortion,
that through the gift of repentance,
they might know the peace of God's healing mercy;
We pray to the Lord:
July 13 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
For all our sons and daughters,
and for children who have no parents to care for them:
that every child might come to know the love God has for them,
and grow in a respect for themselves and every human being;
We pray to the Lord:
July 20 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
For the very young and the very old who suffer physical abuse,
that God might give us the wisdom and grace
to work to protect and save them;
We pray to the Lord:
July 27 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
For all who work to protect the right to life of every human being:
that they might live in the joyful knowledge
of the goodness of God which shines forth through them;
We pray to the Lord:
"Concern for the world of children is growing in contemporary society, as is an informed awareness of the respect owed to their inalienable right to life, to a family, to health, to instruction and to religious and civil education, as well as the rigorous defence of their innocence. Despite this, children are often subjected to serious affronts and violence, especially in the poorest regions of the world and in countries affected by war and hunger. They are threatened by selfishness and the rush for material well-being which sometimes absorbs their parents, distracting them from their duty to bring up their children by being close to them and listening to the problems associated with their growth and integration into society. The Church everywhere continues to proclaim the centrality of the child, who is especially loved by Jesus and regarded by him as the model for all who are called to receive the kingdom of God (cf. Mk 10: 14)."
July 2003: Bulletin Briefs
Abortion is advanced in the name of freedom, but it undermines freedom by demeaning life itself. No society can be truly free if its most vulnerable members can lose their very lives at the hands of others. And far from giving greater freedom to women, abortion leaves many women feeling trapped in a deep well of sorrow and remorse.
— Cardinal Bevilacqua, Chairman of USCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, October 1, 2002
A healthy society and culture are reflected in and sustained by the health of the family. In the same way, a sick society and culture are reflected in a weak, deteriorated family. The future of humanity will not be possible without recognition and respect for the values of the natural institution of the family.
— The Santo Domingo Declaration, by the Pontifical Council for the Family, the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and CELAM, October 12, 2002
America was founded by men and women who shared a vision of the value of each and every individual. They stated this vision clearly from the very start in the Declaration of Independence, using words that every schoolboy and schoolgirl can recite:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
— Ronald Regan, on the 10th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation
The Signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their own lives, fortunes, and honor to guarantee inalienable rights for all of the new country's citizens. These visionaries recognized that an essential human dignity attached to all persons by virtue of their very existence and not just to the strong, the in-dependent, or the healthy. That value should apply to every American, including the elderly and the unprotected, the weak and the infirm, and even to the unwanted.
— President George W. Bush, National Sanctity of Life Day, January 22, 2002
Prepared by the USCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities