Judie Brown, president of American Life League, issued the following statement in response to the news of the death of Pope John Paul II:
Although we are deeply saddened by the death of our beloved Pope John Paul II, we pause at this moment to reflect upon his steadfast efforts to celebrate the inherent dignity of every human person through his consistent writings and teachings about the sanctity of every human being's life.
Much will be written about him, but the one thing that stands out above all else, after 26 years of his pontificate, is the single, solitary fact that every single innocent human being is a person created by God, to be cherished, loved and respected, without compromise and without apology. He made this point over and over again in his many teaching documents, but most specifically in the beautiful Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) — said by many to be the most definitive encyclical he ever wrote.
We have been inspired by Pope John Paul II on so many occasions. Personally, I was honored by being twice appointed to serve on his Pontifical Academy for Life. We at American Life League have been motivated to press for total protection for all innocent human beings because of his leadership. We will be forever grateful to God for permitting us to be part of this most remarkable pontificate.
Pope John Paul II created a challenge that he has now left to every member of the human family: create a culture of life. Speaking for all of us at American Life League, we accept that challenge. We rely on the grace of God to continually inspire us as He inspired the Holy Father.
Release issued: 2 Apr 05