TAYLORSVILLE — The Annual Respect for the Dignity of Life Day will be held Jan. 11, at Saint Martin de Porres Parish in Taylorsville.
The day will begin with a Latin Mass celebrated by Father Jan Bednarz, St. Martin de Porres, pastor, followed by speakers whose topics will give participants information on various aspects of respecting the dignity of life.
"Yes, abortion is against life and we need to look for alternatives, but there also are other aspects to the dignity of life," said Veola Burchett, Office of Family Life director for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who will sponsor the event.
Father Martin Diaz, Cathedral of the Madeleine Parish, pastor, will address comprehensive immigration reform, focusing on why the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is involved with the matter. Dr. Maureen Condic, a University of Utah professor in the School of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, will give a talk on determining brain death. Deacon Scott Dodge, Cathedral of the Madeleine Parish, will speak on Pope Paul XVI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life).
Fr. Diaz will "explain to participants the bishops’ position on comprehensive immigration reform, which includes a path for citizenship, family unity, a legal path for low-skilled immigrant workers in the states and due process for those who are now in immigration enforcement procedures," he said.
The USCCB also would like to address some of the root causes of migration, including poverty, armed conflict, social strife, political turmoil and degradation and lack of development in a home country, Fr. Diaz said. "The root cause is people are looking for a better life. If they were able to have a better life in their own country, they wouldn’t leave."
The topic of brain death was presented by Dr. Condic at the Annual Pastoral Congress in September.
"Many of us may be concerned we will be put on life support at some point in our lives or have to put a loved one on life support," said Burchett, adding that Condic will address some of the questions associated with how the medical community determines how a person is declared brain dead.
"Dr. Condic will share some tragic incidences that have occurred and will help participants understand how they can feel confident about making a decision involving a loved one on life support," said Burchett.
Deacon Scott Dodge will talk about Humanae Vitae, and "he understands it well," said Burchette.
Humanae Vitae might seem an odd topic for Respect for the Dignity of Life Day, Deacon Dodge said, but "one answer, perhaps the simplest, is that the title of Pope Paul’s last encyclical, when translated into English, is ‘on human life.’"
The official English translation of Humanae Vitae on the Holy See’s website gives the encyclical’s opening words as "The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator."
"This is certainly consistent with the Church’s teaching on the dignity of human life, which extends from how human life is transmitted to the complex end-of-life issues with which the Church and society are currently grappling," Deacon Dodge said.
The presenters will provide a good mix of topics, Burchett said. "There also will be some teachers available to talk about Natural Family Planning. … We want to educate people and help them have more confidence in the Church’s teachings."
What: Respect for the Dignity of Life Day
When: Jan. 11; registration at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Saint Martin de Porres Parish, 4914 South 2200 West, Taylorsville
Cost: $15 per person, includes lunch. Register online at http://www.dioslc.org/events/registration/step1?event=1772. Hardcopy registration forms may be downloaded at http://www.dioslc.org/ministries/marriage, follow the links under "Upcoming Events." Mail the completed form to Family Life Office, 27 C St., Salt Lake City, UT 84103.
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