A Pastoral Letter To The People Of The Diocese Of Stockton -
October 1, 2006

From Bishop Stephen Blaire

(To be read on the weekend of October 1-2)

Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Encyclical of Pope John Paul II “The Gospel of Life”

How lovely is the dwelling of God who lives not in buildings made by hand but in every human heart and in all the wonder of the created heavens and earth! All is a gift of the Creator. All is a reflection of God. Every heart beat pounds out the image of God in the dignity of the human person. Every sun rises and sets over the whole earth; over the just and the unjust. The unfathomable mystery of God sustains creation in being and has sent a Savior to restore all creation to its original goodness. God has loved the world so much that He sent His own Son to be our redeemer and savior – so precious is the gift of life and the sacredness of the human person.

John Paul II’s great encyclical “The Gospel of Life” was written to unfold the glory of creation and to promote and defend the dignity of every human life.

He wrote: “The Gospel of God’s love for man, the Gospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are a single and indivisible Gospel.”

All the attacks on life threaten this human dignity: “Poverty, hunger, endemic diseases, violence and war… murder, abortion, euthanasia, torture, coercion of the will, sub-human living conditions, slavery, prostitution, trafficking in women and children.” “They poison,” he said “human society.” He mentioned as particularly sinister the evils of abortion and euthanasia which are “becoming socially acceptable.”

To be pro-life is not to be an enemy of freedom. We honor the creator by respecting life. As the encyclical clearly teaches: When we “respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life” we find “justice, development, true freedom, peace and happiness.”

During October, the month dedicated to respect life, in our diocese we will focus our attention on two end of life issues: Euthanasia and abortion; on the Church’s opposition to the death penalty; and on new attention to the quality of life and to ecology through environmental justice.

Life is not a thing, a commodity, or a piece of property to be controlled. Life is God’s gift to us. We are the stewards entrusted with this precious gift. We will live life fully if we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. It is Christ who gives us the fullness of life.

Last Update February 28, 2007