Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The prophetic voice often is ignored. The prophets themselves can be vilified and scorned, and some even tortured and put to death. They offer their lives for the truth. No society or individual wants to be told they are on the wrong path and their destruction is inevitable. In our modern society, prophecy is equated with foretelling the future. In reality, the prophet is the one who clearly sees the present wrongdoings and knows there will be consequences — even to the suffering or destruction of society.

The prophets of the Old Testament called out society, challenging them to understand that they were turning away from God. They confronted the leadership and warned them to change their ways or face dire consequences. This was not a vile threat but an understanding that their actions displeased God, and that they must reform. The leadership would bring punishment upon themselves and the community. What the prophet was proclaiming was the “sin” of society, and sins always lead to destruction. Of course, if you do not accept sin — or even further, God — then the voice of the prophet is empty. 

We often attribute the voice of the prophet to ages past. I would propose that the prophetic voice is still very active, and we fail to acknowledge it at our own risk.

The papacy of John Paul II — now St. John Paul — is filled with spectacular achievements. Elected as the first non-Italian pope in 450 years, he oversaw the internationalization of the Roman Curia and the creation of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church. He pastored the world, addressing both Catholics and non-Catholics as he encountered them. He was a great a leader and spiritual father, and produced more works of theological significance than any of his predecessors for centuries — he was a true scholar.

St. John Paul was also a prophetic voice. He warned of the dangers of a society that moved away from God and towards self-interest and convenience, forgetting the obligations towards our brothers and sisters. In his work “Evangelium Vitae,” the Gospel of Life, he establishes that a society that embraces personal attacks on “life” was creating a culture of death. This culture of death has a consequence of societal suicide. It is important to note that this voice is the voice of a saint. I do not know of any saint who advocated abortion, euthanasia or gender manipulation. They realize that it is always God’s primacy that must be acknowledged. 

Just a generation ago, many leaders who advocated “abortion” talked of it as a tragedy and said that it must be limited. Today, I view with horror that abortions are celebrated, and the call is for abortion up to the moment of birth and even after birth. This is sin, and sins have consequences. The punishment is self-imposed. It is both personal and societal.

In St. John Paul’s own words: “The Gospel of Life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. A society lacks foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized. Only respect for life can be the foundation and guarantee of the most precious and essential goods of society, such as democracy and peace.” 
 
As a society, the prophetic voice challenges us to establish a culture of life. We demonstrate our willingness to follow as we LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki

Archbishop of Milwaukee          

Note: This blog originally appeared as the August 27, 2024, "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.