Excerpts from Msgr. Bambera's remarks at the Annual Respect for Life Prayer Breakfast Sponsored by Pennsylvanians for Human Life's Scranton Chapter on Jan 30, 2010:
"I do bring greetings this morning to all of you from his eminence Cardinal Rigali, the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Scranton, our leader during this time of transition as we await the appointment of a new bishop. Many of you know that Cardinal Rigali just completed his term as chairperson of the United States Catholic Council of Bishops Pro-Life Committee and so his commitment to this cause....is very, very profound...he sends his best wishes, his gratitude for all that you are and all that you do. And especially his prayers are with all of you, with all of us as we embrace this noble task and the sacred work of defending human life."
"Since its beginning, the Church has always proclaimed the value of the human person and we have always and will continue to stand with faithful from all religious denominations and faith communities in defense of human life. In the book of Genesis, the very first book in the Scriptures, we’re reminded that God made human beings in His own image. Our life comes from God. Life is God’s first and foremost gift to us. It’s his image and his imprint and life is our sharing in the breath of God’s own life. Human life and death thus, are in God’s hands. Deuteronomy the Old Testament book proclaims that God alone – God alone can say, “It is I who bring forth death and life." God alone – not me, not you, not anyone but the creator in whose image every human being is made. How sad that our world has become increasingly godless and eclipsed by so many other passing values that people seem to want to embrace – seem to think will provide them with some sense of meaning and purpose. And as a result, what happens? People continue to look and to search and to grasp – and in the process, we’ve allowed a culture of death to emerge and to grow in our midst."
"The Second Vatican Council, 45 years age said this about the culture of death: “Whatever is opposed to life itself – abortion, euthanasia, murder, genocide or willful self-destruction – whatever violates the integrity of the human person such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself – whatever insults human dignity such as sub-human living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children, as well as disgraceful working conditions where men are treated more as tools for profit rather than as free and responsible persons – all of these things and others of their like are infamies.” They poison human society and they are a supreme dishonor to our creator."
"We’re called to be salt, light, and leaven. And what do salt, light and leaven do but they affect that which is around them. They make a difference in the world. And what we do today and every day as we confront a Godless society and values that are contrary to life itself – is that we stand as God calls us to stand as influences for good in our world"
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