NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      DETROIT, 18 (NE) "I propose to discuss the way religion can help shape public policy and the world of law, especially in the current debate about the dignity of human life," said Cardinal Adam Maida in a recent lecture given March 16 at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. The Cardinal's conference highlighted "The voice of religion in shaping culture and law."

      The Archbishop of Detroit emphasized interaction between law and culture: "Laws reflect society and culture", he stated, "but they form our values as well". Affirming that "laws alone cannot give us freedom, or preserve human rights and dignity", the Cardinal highlighted that "we need to go to the root of all culture...our very self transcendence itself, our ability to reach out to God and our undeniable need for God."

      "The voice of religion," said Michigan's Archbishop, "helps all people realize that there will be no freedom without truth and no genuine human rights unless people acknowledge the origin and source of all human rights: God Himself."

      Cardinal Maida urged to "first convert hearts, then you can change culture." He also added that, "Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II himself has exemplified this very pattern in his writing and in his preaching: we best proclaim the Gospel of Life by committing our time and resources to all efforts that affirm and uphold the dignity of human life from the first moment of conception until last natural breath. Consistency, clarity and conviction in the civil discourse will eventually win the day. Our voices may seem small but they can become powerful if joined together in prayer and action."