Sunday, June 15, 2008
FROM THE EMAILBOX:
Spirit & Life®
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)
Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 03, Number 24 | Friday, June 13, 2008
.................................................................................. www.hli.org
Clergy Pledge of Assent to Humanae Vitae
Dear HLI friends and readers of Spirit and Life®,
I am happy to send you our "Clergy Pledge of Assent" to the papal encyclical Humanae vitae which we are trying to get into the hands of as many priests as possible this summer. I would personally appreciate if you could print out the version of it provided in this email and show it to priests, permanent deacons and seminarians and encourage them to sign it and send it to HLI. Note, first of all, that we have already sent this to our email list of priests who signed up for the "Humanae Vitae Priests" newsletter so there is no need for you to give it to those already on our list. However, you can encourage them to sign it online if that is easier! (See www.humanaevitaepriests.org.)
When I wrote to the clergy I told them that "it is HLI's desire and purpose to tell the world that we will not be silent about this encyclical or its teaching. Nor will we stand by idly when Pope Paul VI's predictions of cultural and spiritual degradation are manifesting themselves around us in broken marriages, devastated families and pernicious immorality." Whereas there was a whole generation of clerical silence and dissent to this most critical of all papal encyclicals, we will be the clerical generation of assent. We believe that the Catholic clergy has a large part to play in turning this situation around, and only a full promotion of the teachings of this encyclical by the clergy will be a force for change in our present culture of death.
We need you to help us get the word out to the clergy and seminarians. We are particularly interested in raising awareness of this campaign in the next month before the actual 40th anniversary of the encyclical (July 25th), but we will be collecting signatures of bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians for the whole year.
Oh, and by the way, be prepared for a Laity version of the Humanae vitae pledge to come your way too! We, the generation of assent to Humanae vitae, will let our voices be heard!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International
