(This homily was given in the year 2000. This is one in a series of homilies from the American Bishops who have reflected on the great acts of Pope John Paul II.)
In the fall of 2000, Pope John Paul II issued an encyclical letter entitled "Fides et Ratio" (Faith and Reason). I read this beautiful encyclical as I was traveling with a tour group to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As in many encyclical letters, the Holy Father refers to the responsibility of bishops, and he offers the following statement as one of the reasons why he wrote it: "I feel impelled to undertake this task above all because of the Second Vatican Council's insistence that the bishops are 'witnesses of divine and Catholic truth.' To bear witness to the truth is therefore a task entrusted to us bishops; we cannot renounce this task without failing in the ministry which we have received."
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While at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I reminded the pilgrims that Mary is the patroness of life. Mary's loving presence has been manifested in a variety of ways throughout the centuries. In the apparition at Guadalupe she appears to us in the manner of a pregnant mother. She holds within her the unborn Christ, proclaiming the sanctity and blessedness of life within the womb.
As I prayed in the beautiful Cathedral, gazing at the sacred image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I asked her to intercede for (us) in a special way, giving to each of us a deep reverence for life, a joy about life and a sense of awe toward life. I asked for this special blessing because I know that many of you are very tired. You have worked hard for legislation that would support life. You have prayed regularly outside of abortion clinics, and you have been scandalized by the poor witness of so-called Catholic politicians who regularly vote the abortion agenda.
I encourage you to turn to Our Lady of Guadalupe. When Mary first appeared to Saint Juan Diego in 1531, Mexico had been in the hands of Christian leaders for only a short time, and human sacrifice, where the blood of innocent men, women and children was often spilled to appease pagan gods, was still practiced at least surreptitiously. Our Lady of Guadalupe brought a new message of maternal compassion. It was a message that was needed then and, unfortunately, is needed now in our country as we battle the culture of death.
Our Lady of Guadalupe told Juan Diego that "I am the merciful mother, the mother of all of you who live united in this land, and of all mankind, of all those who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who seek me, of those who have confidence in me. Here I will hear their weeping, their sorrow, and will remedy and alleviate their suffering, necessities and misfortunes."
In our world today, poised at the dawn of the third millennium, we need to hear once again this message of maternal compassion from the protectress of the unborn.
I recommit the resources of the Diocese of Sioux Falls to work in east river South Dakota to promote the virtue of chastity, speak the message of abstinence, remove the reasons for abortion, hold up the dignity of each life from conception to natural death, to stop capital punishment as an option, to promote handicapped accessibility, and remind every person we meet of their fundamental dignity born in the image and likeness of God.
With our pastors, Respect Life Office, pro-life representatives in the parishes, …we have a powerful force for life. All we need is you!
