Pro-life and covert euthanasia

This is in response to "A Contradiction of Faith" in the February 3 Letter to Editor section. That letter prompted me to reflect on No. 101 of "Pope Francis' Exhortation on Holiness," where he writes: "Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of human life ... Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery and every form of rejection. We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty." My attention was caught by the Pope's words "covert euthanasia." What was he referring to? Could it be efforts to undermine Medicaid and health care in general for the elderly and infirm, which undermines the health care of our most vulnerable people and leads to premature death? Could it be the lack of concern for protecting our environment and the resulting illnesses and premature death for those who live near toxic land and polluted air? Could it be the starvation and malnutrition of so many that also leads to premature death? I applaud the focus on pro-life and hope and pray that it includes all of life. Being pro-life includes advocating for the unborn but also includes asking and acting on these questions: do I advocate for public policies that support the dignity of all life? Do I advocate for environmental laws that will protect the dignity of life? Do I advocate for spending tax dollars and make gifts to charitable organizations to feed the hungry, house the homeless, provide equitable educational opportunities and health care for all who are in need? The contradiction for me is assuming I am being pro-life when I focus solely on protecting the unborn and turn my back on the suffering and inequities that many human beings are currently experiencing once they are born. Without focusing on all human life — born and unborn — no one can truly be supporting the dignity of human life. Judith Hoffman