Denver Catholic

2 JANUARY 23-FEBRUARY 12, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Vatican Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly. Denver Catholic is printed by Signature O¥ set in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. EDITORIAL: 303-715-3230 or denvercatholic@archden.org | ADVERTISING: 303-715-3253 or denvercatholicads@archden.org CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or circulation@archden.org General Manager KARNA SWANSON Director ANDREW WRIGHT Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE Jan. 24: Mass, Holy Family Parish, Fort Collins (11 a.m. English) and (12:30 p.m. Spanish) Jan. 28: Mass, Federal Correction Institution, Littleton (12:40 p.m.) Jan. 30: Mass, Church of the Risen Christ (4 p.m.); A Beacon of Hope Gala to benefi t Lighthouse and Women's Services, Wings over the Rockies, Denver (5:30 p.m.) Feb. 6: Transitional diaconate ordination, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (10 a.m.); Visit and blessing at Fort Collins Catholic Charities (3:30 p.m.); Speaker, St. Joseph School "Spirit" Gala, Fort Collins (5 p.m.) Feb. 13: Rite of election (10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.), Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception PHOTO OF THE WEEK Life hangs in the balance T his past weekend close to 4,000 people rallied at the Colorado capitol building to encourage our state to protect life at every stage. It was a beautiful sight to see so many people willing to stand up for the vulnerable— whether they are unborn children or people bravely facing a terminal illness. Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has spoken of the "throw-away" mental- ity that has come to characterize not just how we relate to things but to people. At his March 4, 2015, general audience he said, "A certain culture of profi t insists on making the elderly appear to be a burden, an extra weight. They are not only unproductive; they are an encum- brance, and are to be discarded. And discarding them is sinful. We do not dare to say this openly, but it happens." This profi t-driven approach is appar- ent in cases like that of Barbara Wagner or Randy Stroup. Both of these people were sent letters by Oregon's state-run health plan stating that it would not provide cancer treatment drugs but would pay for doctor-assisted suicide. The same attitude lies behind the push to kill the unborn, the disabled, and those who are suž ering, even if it's done in the name of mercy. How many times have we heard the argument, "This child is going to be disabled, so we should abort it," or, "This elderly woman is suf- fering from terminal cancer and feels like she is a burden on her family. She should be allowed to end her life." St. John Paul II insightfully pointed out another aspect of the disposable culture in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, where he said that the mindset behind abortion involves a "hedonistic mentality" that is "unwilling to accept responsibility in matters of sexuality" and regards procreation as "an obstacle to personal fulfi lment" (Cf. EV, 13). In other words, the throw-away cul- ture is being driven by a mentality that is both self-centered and profi t-cen- tered, and the consequence of this is that all suž ering is seen as an obstacle to real fulfi llment. The same can be said for the argu- ments being advanced by those seeking to legalize doctor-prescribed death. In the name of a false understanding of freedom and "death with dignity," law- makers and lobbyists argue that certain circumstances mean life has lost its value. They seem to believe that some disabilities or types of suž ering stand in the way of being fulfi lled and that the solution is to end that person's life. Pope Francis has rightly said that the fear of being weak and vulnerable is the driving force behind this argument, not a desire for freedom or true dignity. As Catholics, we know that true dignity comes from being a son or daughter of the Father and that no amount of suž er- ing, disability, or circumstance can take that away. We also can see this is true on a purely human level, since each of us can think of a time when we suž ered in some way that made us a stronger, better person. The same thing is true of suž ering in the face of death, those fi nal moments when God is able to refi ne us and prepare us for our judgement. As Colorado's legislators consider House Bill 1054 and Senate Bill 25—the two bills that aim to legalize doctor-pre- scribed death—I urge you to consider what adopting the throw-away culture would do to our state. We Coloradans pride our- selves on being people who are welcoming, hospitable and caring, but if these bills become law, we will be saying that certain types of lives can be discarded. During his March 4 audience, Pope Francis gave voice to the gravity of this decision saying, "We are all a little fragile, the elderly. Some, however, are particularly weak, many are alone, and až ected by illness. … Will we abandon them to their fate? A society without closeness, in which gratuitousness and selfl ess až ection, even among strangers, are disappearing, is a perverse society." The Colorado I know is a place that comforts the a¨ icted and is close to those in need. Please join me in contacting our state representatives to speak up for the vulnerable and safeguarding the values of our state. In this Year of Mercy, I call on every Catholic to actively seek out God's mercy, receive it, and bring it to others. I encourage you, too, regardless of which political party you belong to, to participate in your caucuses on March 1 to bring Christian values into the public square and help rebuild a culture of life. To contact your representative and to learn more about physician-assisted suicide, visit archden.org/life Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila celebrates Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before the March for Life on Jan. 16. PHOTO BY ANDREW WRIGHT/DENVER CATHOLIC New legislation that threatens the elderly and terminally ill was introduced shortly before this year's March for Life. DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB @ArchbishopDen Jan. 19 Praise God for the huge turnout at the #Marchforlife in Denver! #whywemarch +sja

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