Passion for Life

Keenly aware of the evils that afflicted the people of his time, he never tired of insisting that the most effective remedy is the Passion of Jesus, “the greatest and most overwhelming work of God’s love.”
– Passionist Constitutions #1

The life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus were all part of a consistent theme that Jesus preached, The Kingdom of God. This Kingdom is built on a foundation of God’s unending love for all of us and His affirmation of all life as a sacred expression of the Divine image.

All life is sacred and holy. Any attempt to undermine the value of life in any of its stages is an affront to the Creator and author of all life. In the 1980’s Cardinal Bernadine of Chicago helped develop a movement called the “Consistent Ethic of Life” which became a principle of Catholic social teaching under the 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae. In this document the Church held up the primacy of life issues. Among the social principles of the Church, a special emphasis exists on the right to all life, from the moment of conception till natural death.

Abortion

Abortion… is a horrendous crime and constitutes a particularly moral disorder; far from being a right, it is a sad phenomenon that contributes seriously to spreading a mentality against life. (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #233)

The Passionist JPIC office supports the work of the Gospel for Life ministries which is an ecumenical Christian organization that is advocating against abortion and partial birth abortion issues. You will also find faith based resources and prayers related to the Gospel of Life.

The Passionist JPIC Office supports The Pregnant Women Support Act. Please visit the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops to support this Bill in Congress.

You may also want to visit Rachel’s Vineyard which offers pastoral resources and services for people who require post abortion healing.

Death Penalty

The Church sees as a sign of hope “a growing public opposition to the death penalty, even when such a penalty is seen as a kind of ‘legitimate defense’ on the part of society. (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #405)

The Passionist JPIC Office support the work of organizations that advocate against the death penalty in our country. The People of Faith Against the Death Penalty is one such organization that advocates against the death penalty on a national and statewide level. They offer news updates on the development of the Death Penalty movement in our nation.

Please also sign on to the Petition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.