September 30, 2025

No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike. Pope Leo XIV, May 16, 2025 Message to Vatican Diplomatic Corps

My dear family in Christ,

Each October the Catholic Church in the United States observes Respect Life Month, a time for us to reflect upon and give thanks to God for the invaluable gift of human life. United with our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, my brother bishops, and our fellow Catholics, we are asked to pray fervently and work tirelessly so that human life is embraced and protected from the moment of conception until the moment we are called by the Lord from this life to the next.

As a people committed to the gift of life it can sometimes seem an almost impossible task, especially in our own beloved State of Vermont. While we believe life begins at the moment of conception and should be protected by law, our state constitution now allows for this gift to be terminated at any point before birth. While we proclaim the dignity of the elderly and infirm, even those facing terminal illness, our state allows physician-assisted suicide. Considering these grim realities, it may seem that we have lost the battle for life in the Green Mountain State. However, while we may face a very challenging task, we must not give up the fight to protect life and help others to choose life over death.

In addition to the prayers we offer continually for life, we can also take more direct steps to witness to this precious gift. Catholics can choose to become active with Vermont Right to Life, Birthright, or support local pregnancy care centers around the state. We can continue to reach out to our elected representatives encouraging them to see that life, at whatever stage, should be nurtured. As a people who believe that God is the Author of Life, we must remain faithful even if success seems unlikely.

In closing, I would like to offer a thought on how we are called to respond to those who disagree with us about life. While it is easy to become frustrated and even angry towards those who promote abortion or euthanasia, as followers of Christ, we must never allow our frustration to lead to hatred or condemnation. As Carryl Houselander, Catholic author and mystic, wrote in her novel The Dry Wood,

Our only question is what we are going to do about whatever we come up against in life ourselves. Our answer to all such questions about other people can only be our own lives. The answer is not anger, or judgment, but love. When your own concept of the Christ life causes you to condemn people, even when they seem clearly guilty, something is very wrong with yourself. Love often mourns but never condemns.

So, while we mourn the loss of life through abortion, physician-assisted suicide and other threats to humanity prevalent in our state and our world, Christ calls us to love, even those who may not love us in return.

Let us seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Life, and St. Joseph, her beloved spouse, as we witness to life this month and always to our neighbors, our communities, our state and our world.

God alone suffices,

The Most Reverend John J. McDermott

Bishop of Burlington