“In Catholic belief, all human life, no matter how wounded, flawed, young or old, is sacred because it comes from God. And we have an obligation to defend it. The dignity of a human life and its right to exist are guaranteed by God. . . .
“Actively witnessing to our convictions and advancing what we believe about key moral issues in public life is not coercion. It’s honesty. It’s an act of truth-telling. It’s vital to the health of every democracy. And again, it’s also a duty – not only of our religious faith, but also of our citizenship.
“All law has moral content. It’s an expression of what we ‘ought’ to do. Therefore law teaches as well as regulates. Good laws can help make a nation more human; more just; more noble. But ultimately even good laws are useless if they govern a people who, by their choices, make themselves venal and callous, foolish and self-absorbed. . . .
“We create a culture of life in the measure that we give our lives to others. The deepest kind of revolution never comes from violence. Even politics, important as it is, is a poor tool for changing human hearts. Nations change when people change. And people change through the witness of other people . . . .”
In an address at the recent national conference of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL), Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia, reflected on why faith matters, on why Catholics have a duty to bring their beliefs to bear on every social, economic, and political problem facing their community.
To access a transcript of Archbishop Chaput’s complete talk, please visit:
Thank you, Deacon Greg Kandra, for the tip!
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