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March 15, 2014Please prayerfully read the enclosed insert from Archbishop Blair on the issue of Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS). I know many people in Connecticut have already seemingly made up their minds on this issue. They have been lobbied by the words and misguided thoughts that the answer to this issue is all about “compassion” and “choice” and with the hope that they are making the end of life comfortable for some-one they love. I urge you to read the article at www.norwhichdiocese.org/religious-liberty.html and consider the whole of the discussion and not simply get wrapped up in the emotional aspects of the debate.
I also wish to address the concern that some parishioners might have with the Church being involved in the public arena, i.e., in legislative debates and the belief of some that church is no place for such discussions. I could not respectfully disagree more. The Church has a duty and obligation to teach on ethical issues and to be involved in the protection of human beings, especially the rights of the most vulnerable in our society. We are, after all, a Church that works to protect and defend the dignity of all peoples— made in the image and likeness of our Creator. As a Church we feed the hungry, we clothe the naked, care for the sick, and defend the dignity of all in need—no matter their race, creed or religious affiliation. These caring actions of the Church are nothing less than the extension Christ’s mission and ministry and His command to all of us to be involved and care for our brothers and sisters in need. If we do not participate as a Church in these vital human affairs, then why exist? To employ a well-known quote, “If not us, who? If not now, when?”
