Help promote, protect sanctity of all human life

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

January is a month when we take time to reflect on the sanctity of human life at all stages and in all conditions. I recently had the privilege of joining with more than 100,000 people from across our country standing up for life in Washington, D.C., including hundreds from our own diocese — from our parishes, the Catholic Center at Rutgers University, home school families and our high schools. The opening vigil Mass at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, along with the Mass the morning of the March at the Capital One Arena were so moving. The Mass at the Shrine had about 10,000 in attendance while some 17,000 youth and young adults filled the Capital One Arena. After Mass, many young people filled the streets of Washington as the March began. It was such a sign of hope for our country and encouraging for all who attended. Many people are willing to stand up for life!
Pope Francis recently told a group of bishops from the United States visiting him at the Vatican that, “If we do not defend life, no other rights matter.” The Holy Father said that “abortion is the first human rights issue.” In January, we sadly remembered that more than 61 million unborn children have been aborted since Roe vs. Wade. The Holy Father’s words ring so true for us in the United States.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, preached the homily at the vigil Mass and noted that polls are showing that our nation’s youth are more pro-life than their parents. He also spoke about the hope that “the United States Supreme Court, which imposed by judicial fiat our current liberal abortion policy, may be poised to return to states a greater ability to protect the lives of unborn children” through the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that allowed legal abortion virtually on demand.

Over the past few years, our federal government has taken numerous actions to protect the unborn, including expanding the Mexico City policy (which blocks U.S. funding for organizations that provide abortions) and issuing a landmark pro-life rule to govern the use of Title X taxpayer funding. Likewise, it is reported that many new judges, even two on the Supreme Court, recognize the flawed legal actions which have allowed abortion on demand. These are encouraging signs that our society is hearing more clearly the call to protect innocent human life.

However, as Disciples of Christ, our commitment to pro-life includes all the many stages of life. Immigration and the plight of refugees remains a serious concern of justice that we hear and read about often. As our nation struggles to properly address these issues from a political perspective, we must keep central the human dignity and natural rights of all those involved. As people of life, we must respond to the human and social needs that the Gospel demands of us. This includes that we strive for proper health care for the poor, housing and education; this is why our mission with Catholic Charities and Saint Peter’s University Hospital are so vital to the mission of our local Church and worthy of our support and expansion.

While the March for Life in Washington recognized the advances in the cause of protecting new life on the national level, unfortunately, we have had numerous setbacks in our own state of New Jersey in regard to advancing life issues. Tragically, this past year our state became one of eight states to permit assisted suicide for those with a terminal illness and six months or less to live. Our lawmakers gave $9.5 million in state funds to Planned Parenthood to make up for the federal funds that they forfeited. Last month, we also had laws advanced that attack or eliminate our religious freedom related to health care.

It is difficult to predict how our lawmakers and judges will deal with abortion and the other life issues. Therefore, it is essential that we do all we can to ensure our voices are heard by those who represent us in our state government while at the same time we strengthen our pastoral outreach in addressing the needs of women facing unplanned pregnancies and their families. For this reason, I join my fellow bishops of the United States in calling for “Walking with Moms in Need — A Year of Service.” This initiative will begin on March 25, 2020, which is the Feast of the Annunciation and, also the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae” (The Gospel of Life) and continue through March 25, 2021.

This Year of Service will be an opportunity for our parishes to partner with the local pregnancy help centers and other agencies to assess, expand and communicate resources to pregnant moms and families in need. Based on a recent national survey, we know that more than 500,000 women are helped through a network of more than 2,700 pregnancy help centers across the nation. We know that more than 150,000 low-income mothers deliver their babies at our Catholic hospitals each year, including at our own Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. We also know that tens of thousands of pregnant and parenting moms are helped through our Catholic Charities programs. While these numbers are encouraging, women are still turning to other places for help in their time of need. We need to do more and I believe are able to do more.

Our abortion-healing ministries, most often called Project Rachel or Rachel’s Vineyard remind us of the tragic results for those who have experienced abortion such as intense grief, depression, drug and alcohol abuse and broken relationships. Not only does a baby die in abortion but women and men are deeply wounded. The Our Hope after Abortion National website now averages over 93,000 unique visits per month. Again, we need to do more. We need to let our legislators and state government officials hear our voices clearly on these issues as lives depend upon it.

As St. John Paul II urges, “With great openness and courage, we need to question how widespread is the culture of life today among individual Christians, families, groups and communities in our dioceses. With equal clarity and determination we must identify steps we are called to take to serve life in all of its truth.” (EV 95). Let each of us commit ourselves to “Walking with Moms in Need — Year of Service” so that our culture may experience the power of God’s transforming love, that our parishes become “islands of mercy” and that all eyes may be opened to the incredible beauty of every human  life.

I am so grateful for all your efforts to preserve and promote the sanctity of human life and making it a priority in our diocese and state. Know of my love and prayers for you, and please pray for me.



The Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA Bishop of Metuchen