Human life is sacred and inviolable at every moment of existence, including the initial phase which precedes birth. All human beings, from their mothers' womb, belong to God who searches them and knows them, who forms them and knits them together with his own hands, who gazes on them when they are tiny shapeless embryos and already sees in them the adults of tomorrow whose days are numbered and whose vocation is even now written in the "book of life." There too, when they are still in their mothers' womb – as many passages of the Bible bear witness – they are the personal objects of God's loving and fatherly providence.

Evangelium Vitae, n. 61

The Catholic Church is Pro-Life

We live in a society of unbelief, where the unborn, the sick, and the elderly are often unwanted and endangered by acts of violence or neglect.  [In 2013], we marked the 40th anniversary of the tragic U.S. Supreme Court rulings Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton.  Without grounding in the Constitution, natural law, or our nation's human rights traditions, these decisions made it legal to end the life of an unborn child in the United States for any reason and at almost any stage of development.  Since then, over fifty-five million unborn children's lives have been taken, leaving many millions of mothers, fathers, and family members wounded and grieving their loss.  Physician-assisted suicide is now legal in three states, allowing doctors to help end patients' lives rather than provide much-needed comfort in times of pain and distress.  These laws pave the way for euthanasia by undermining true respect and care for people with serious illness.

Despite these challenges, Pope Francis reminds us that we always have hope in Christ.  The Holy Father speaks not only of physical life, but spiritual life as well -- our life in Christ that has the power to transform us.  By opening our hearts to his love and mercy, we let Christ dwell in us and we see more deeply the intricate and unique beauty of each person.

What does it mean to open our hearts to life?  It means to search our souls and acknowledge our deepest longing for Christ's love.  Though we are capable of sins against human life such as abortion, assisted suicide and euthanasia, we are not beyond Christ's mercy.  It is important for us to know and share with others that Christ's forgiveness is offered even to those who have taken another person's life, if they are truly repentant of that act.

We must respond to Pope Francis' call with great urgency.  Opening our hearts to life in Christ empowers us for loving, merciful action toward others.  We must give witness to the Gospel of Life and evangelize through our lives.  We must personally engage others and share the truth about human life.  We must continue to show love and mercy, especially with those who have been involved in abortion. All members of the Church can bring healing to the world by upholding the beauty of human life and God's unfailing mercy.

Excerpt from 2013 Respect Life Sunday Statement - Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Chairman, USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities

Information provided by: Catholic Diocese of Dallas