Simone Campbell: Equally Sacred Priorities
In recent years, Pope Francis has provided explicit instruction on the many ways we are called to defend, promote, and protect the sacredness of life. In his writing and speaking, Pope Francis makes it clear: abortion is not the only issue that matters.
Faith does not fit into political parties neatly. Still, we are called to engage in politics. This is no small feat. It requires us to be informed, to develop our conscience, to connect with like-minded people, and listen to those who think differently. We invite you to consider the areas Pope Francis names as "equally sacred” to the defense of the unborn.
We invite you to consider this information prayerfully.
Gaudete et Exsultate, March 1, 2018
Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born.
General Audience, June 3, 2020
We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.
Gaudete et Exsultate, March 2018
Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection. We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty.
Evangelii Gaudium, November 2013
Today we also have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills.
Gaudete et Exsultate, March 2018
We often hear it said that, with respect to relativism and the flaws of our present world, the situation of migrants, for example, is a lesser issue. Some Catholics consider it a secondary issue compared to the “grave” bioethical questions. That a politician looking for votes might say such a thing is understandable, but not a Christian, for whom the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their lives to offer a future to their children.
Thus, although abortion is a very important issue for Catholics, there other issues that are equally important, other things that are equally sacred: people and families on the economic margins; those who are sick, disabled, and older adults; and victims of human trafficking and economic slavery. Likewise, if we are truly and completely pro-life, we cannot ignore economic inequality; and we cannot overlook the situation of migrants.
To see a comparison of the views and policies supported by President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden, and to see them in relation to what Pope Francis has said based on Catholic Social Teaching, please visit https://networkadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/08/EquallySacredScorecard.pdf and https://networkadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/08/EquallySacredScorecardShort.pdf.