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Statements
Issued In 2002
SENTENCING OF FATHER
JOHN THOMPSON
Oct. 29, 2002
I
am relieved to know that today’s Criminal Court proceeding involving Father John
Thompson is completed. He has
agreed to make full restitution
to St. Elizabeth’s parish, acknowledging the seriousness
of his actions while he was the
pastor there.
This has been a painful experience
for the good people of
St. Elizabeth’s. They will need
time to heal from the consequences of
a disruptive period in the life of
their parish.
I pray that God
will guide the parishioners of St. Elizabeth’s
and Father Thompson as they move beyond
this day.
Respect Life Sunday
Oct. 2002
Dearly
Beloved in Christ,
On October 6th,
Respect Life Sunday, all across the nation
the faithful prayed for the sanctity of all
human life from the moment of conception to
the moment of natural death. Once, most
people saw life as God’s greatest gift.
Our country was founded on the belief that
the right to life is sacred and inviolable.
However, in recent
years, we have lost our way and those acts that were once considered crimes, are
now protected as “rights.” Our country has slipped into what Pope John
Paul II has labeled the “culture of death.” We tolerate and often promote
the intentional killing of human beings by abortion, by destructive embryo
research, by assisted suicide and by capital punishment. A wide spectrum
of issues touches on the protection of all human life and the promotion of human
dignity. As Pope John Paul II has reminded us: “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 state and in every situation; it is an indivisible good.” (The Gospel
of
Life, #87)
We must ask
ourselves, “How can we transform the culture of death into a culture of
life?” This is no easy task but it can be done, and we must begin with
ourselves, in each of our hearts, with reverence for every single human life
that God has called into existence. Realizing that at some point in our
lives, each of us has been dependent on others, we must, in turn, extend our
care and helping hands to others. By being with those who are suffering, by
offering friendship, support and encouragement we can demonstrate by word and
example that there are solutions to the problems that confront us daily.
No human life should be outside of our concern, because every human life has its
origin in the
heart
of God.
With every assurance
of my prayers for you and your families, I
am
Sincerely
in Christ,
Most
Reverend Thomas V. Daily, D.D.
Bishop of Brooklyn
Obligation To
Vote
Oct, 2002
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
In October
of 1995, Pope John Paul II’s visit to the United States was a powerful reminder
to Catholics that we were called to genuine political responsibility. That
we, as Catholics, were called to stand up in defense of all human
life.
In 1998, as members of the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I
and other Bishops across the United States
adopted a statement, Living the Gospel
of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics.
In the statement we said: “No
public official especially one claiming
to be a faithful and serious Catholic, can responsibly advocate
for or actively support
direct attacks on innocent human
life.”
In the year 2000, the Administrative Board of the U.S. Catholic
Bishops produced a document, Called to
Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility
for the New Millennium, a statement
on political responsibility. This
document calls us to examine each party
platform by how its agenda touches human
life and dignity. This is a time to
bring together the guidance of the Gospel
and the opportunities of our democracy to
shape a society more respectful of human
life and dignity and more committed to justice
and peace. Catholic social teaching
should serve as an instrument to inform
the faithful on issues of public policy.
Too many citizens take the right
to vote for granted, forgetting that it
is a cherished ideal many long for in other
countries. Every opportunity to vote
is an opportunity to shape policy and to
bring about change. As citizens of
the United States, we have a moral obligation
to exercise our right to Vote on
Election Day, November 5th.
Sincerely
in Christ,
Most Reverend Thomas V. Daily, D.D.
Bishop
of Brooklyn
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