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Respect for the life and dignity of the human person

“Protecting the Right to Life” Top Issue on Canadian Bishops Conference Election Guide



With a federal election campaign underway, the Social Affairs Commission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has issued an election guide for the nation's Catholics. Topping the list of items of concern in the guide is "respect for the life and dignity of the human person."

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In its "Federal Election 2008 Guide", the Commission "encourages Catholics to become better informed about the issues, to voice their concerns with the political candidates … and, most of all, to vote." The four-page text goes on to list some basic principles from Catholic moral and social teaching to help voters examine and evaluate public policy and programs. These principles begin with respect for life and the dignity of the human person, after which are listed concerns for the poor, peace and the environment. Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition, in an interview with LifeSiteNews commented that the life issues should be used as a first filter when considering which candidate to support in your riding. "If only two candidates in a field of five are pro-life then we can assess the two remaining choices for their stands on issues dear to us such as defense of marriage, care for the poor, and more," he said. The document notes, firstly, that 'choosing life means': "Protecting the right to life for even the smallest - the human embryo and the human fetus - who are members of the human family, and also offering assistance to pregnant women who are facing difficult situations." Michèle Boulva, Director of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), an organization co-founded by the CCCB and the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, told LifeSiteNews.com that she was glad to see respect for life as the first concern listed. Boulva explained that in today's society there is pressure to legalize euthanasia, and "a lot of reaction from pro-abortion groups to bills that somehow recognize the humanity of the fetus." More...


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