Abortion

Legalized abortion will not continue forever in America. Only what is built on love and truth can stand the test of time. Abortion is the opposite of both. It directly violates the command of God, “Thou shalt not kill.” For this reason, each of us must do our part to hand on the good news of God’s commandments, to stand strong against a culture of death and to build a culture of life. (Thou Shalt Not Kill: Why Abortion is Evil, Bishop Olmsted, 2006).

Euthanasia/End of Life

Over the past few weeks, I have considered the teaching of the Church on the Fifth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” focusing on the question of abortion. Besides abortion, there are also other intrinsically evil acts that this command of God touches upon, such as euthanasia, assisted suicide and the killing of human embryos for stem cell research. These acts are always wrong (intrinsically evil) and never justifiable (Thou Shalt Not Kill: Is the Death Penalty Needed Today?, Bishop Olmsted, 2006)

Death Penalty

Sometimes it is argued that the death penalty should be used because the crimes committed were so horrific. The death penalty, however, cannot be justified solely on the basis of the serious nature of the crimes committed or on the basis of repeated offenses. The only reason that can justify the use of the death penalty is the defense of the common good, i.e., when society can find no other way to defend itself. In these situations the death penalty is seen as legitimate self-defense.

In nearly all countries today, and certainly in all developed countries, the common good can be protected without killing dangerous criminals. If need be, those who pose a continued threat to others can be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole (Thou Shalt Not Kill: Is the Death Penalty Needed Today?, Bishop Olmsted, 2006).

Arizona Catholic Conference

The Arizona Catholic Conference (ACC) is the public policy agency for the Diocese of Gallup, the Diocese of Phoenix, and the Diocese of Tucson.

Arizona Right to Life

Arizona Right to Life, Inc. is a non-sectarian, non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)4 organization committed to articulating and protecting the right to life of all human beings, born and unborn. This is accomplished by educating people on the value of every human life and by promoting and supporting pro-life legislation, public policy and elected officials.

Catholic Charities Community Services Foster Care

Catholic Charities recruits, trains, and licenses families that can provide loving homes to children in the custody of the state's Child Protective Services. Once a child is placed in a foster home, Catholic Charities continues to supervise care and support foster families to make sure that the needs of foster children are met.

Catholic Charities Community Services Crisis Pregnancy and Counseling

Catholic Charities prepares families for the adoption of an infant, assists with court documents, and acts as a liaison between adoptive and birth families. 

Maggie's Place

Maggie's Place is a house of hospitality for expectant women who wish to achieve their goals in a dignified atmosphere. Following Catholic social teaching, we recognize that we are responsible to and for one another. We challenge each other to strive toward personal growth, to welcome the gift of every person that enters our door, and to promote positive social change. In this way, we celebrate and provide for the next generation.

Marrigage and Respect Life Office, Diocese of Phoenix

Our office is founded on the fact that all human persons are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore have a dignity that is to be respected and nurtured in every stage of life. We provide support and encouragement to married couples as well as those who work to promote the cause of life in the Diocese of Phoenix.

Foundation for Senior Living

The Foundation for Senior Living is devoted to preserving dignity and promoting quality of life for all seniors, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers.

Hospice of The Valley

Hospice is a promise of comfort for terminally ill patients and those who love them. An innovative concept in care by skilled professionals and volunteers working in partnership with a patient's doctor, Hospice provides physical, emotional and spiritual services and support for the whole family.

Ministry to Prisons, Diocese of Phoenix

Contact Deacon Peter Murphy, 602-354-2485

Abortion

Among important issues involving the dignity of human life with which the Church is concerned, abortion necessarily plays a central role. Abortion, the direct killing of an innocent human being, is always gravely immoral (The Gospel of Life, no. 57); its victims are the most vulnerable and defenseless members of the human family. It is imperative that those who are called to serve the least among us give urgent attention and priority to this issue of justice (Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, USCCB, 2001).

Euthanasia/End of Life

As Catholic leaders and moral teachers, we believe that life is the most basic gift of a loving God--a gift over which we have stewardship but not absolute dominion. Our tradition, declaring a moral obligation to care for our own life and health and to seek such care from others, recognizes that we are not morally obligated to use all available medical procedures in every set of circumstances. But that tradition clearly and strongly affirms that as a responsible steward of life one must never directly intend to cause one's own death, or the death of an innocent victim, by action or omission (Statement on Euthanasia, USCCB, 1991).

Death Penalty

Each of us is called to respect the life and dignity of every human being. Even when people deny the dignity of others, we must still recognize that their dignity is a gift from God and is not something that is earned or lost through their behavior. Respect for life applies to all, even the perpetrators of terrible acts. Punishment should be consistent with the demands of justice and with respect for human life and dignity (A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death, USCCB, 2005).

National Right to Life Legislative Action Center

The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the National Right to Life Committee and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide.

National Committee for a Human Life Amendment

"We are committed to full legal recognition of the right to life of the unborn child, and will not rest in our efforts until society respects the inherent worth and dignity of every member of the human race."

National Prayer Campaign, Priests for Life

Prayer is the foundation of all we do in the pro-life movement, and we invite you to join tens of thousands of others who are offering, each day, a prayer of commitment to build a culture of life. We urge you to pray, throughout the year, the daily prayer to end abortion.

March for Life, January 22, 2008

March for Life provides the vital information needed to take the prolife message to Washington and throughout the Nation.

USCCB Pro-Life Activities

The Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, under the guidance and direction of the Committee for Pro-Life Activities, works to teach respect for all human life from conception to natural death, and organize for its protection.

Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty

Welcome to the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty. Within this website, you will find everything you need to know about the Catholic Church’s involvement in ending the use of the death penalty.

Catholics Against Captial Punishment

Catholics Against Capital Punishment was founded in 1992 to promote greater awareness of Catholic Church teachings that characterize capital punishment as unnecessary, inappropriate and unacceptable in today's world.

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 (Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II, 1995).

As far as the right to life is concerned, we must denounce its widespread violation in our society: alongside the victims of armed conflicts, terrorism and the different forms of violence, there are the silent deaths caused by hunger, abortion, experimentation on human embryos and euthanasia. How can we fail to see in all this an attack on peace? Abortion and embryonic experimentation constitute a direct denial of that attitude of acceptance of others which is indispensable for establishing lasting relationships of peace (Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, Pope Benedict XVI, 2007).

Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute

The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) is a non-profit, non-partisan research and educational institute focusing on international social policy.
C-FAM’s mission is to monitor the evolving international debate on social policy, and to assist governments at the UN and elsewhere to more deeply understand these difficult issues. C-FAM’s mission includes educating the public at large about the pressing issues debated at the UN and at other international institutions.

CARE

Care is a well-established mainstream Christian Charity with 100,000 supporters which provides resources and helps to bring Christian insight and experience to matters of public policy and practical caring initiatives.

Schreeuw om leven

The Pro-Life Organisation of the Netherlands

Pax Christi International

Pax Christi International is a non-profit, non-governmental Catholic peace movement working on a global scale on a wide variety of issues in the fields of human rights, security and disarmament, economic justice and ecology.