The strong words in Pope John Paul II's letter to the Roman Catholic Church stirred debate worldwide almost as soon as it was issued, but the South Bronx community of nearly 200,000 Catholics took a bit longer to reflect on the message.
The pope reiterated the church's opposition to abortion, contraception, euthanasia and capital punishment in his 200-page encyclical, "Evangelium Vitae" ("Gospel of Life").
The Rev. John Grange, pastor of St. Jerome's Church in Mott Haven, one of 24 Catholic parishes in the borough, said that many in his congregation haven't read the letter, which was issued March 31.
"We're a pretty apathetic bunch," he said. "What the pope says is good, and he's respected. But people here don't read. They face a lot of violence and long hours; they're so scarred and beat up that it takes a while for anything to seep into their conscience."
Grange said he has seen his community struggle for years with crime, poverty and teenage pregnancy. "The pope is very correct, that life is very sacred and not to be toyed around," he said.
"However, there should be more compassion and understanding for the people who are involved in these problems. If anything else, God is about mercy and not punishment. That doesn't seem to come through in the letter," he said.
Grange was alluding to the pope's view that any practice violating human life is unacceptable.
Auxiliary Bishop Francisco Garmendia, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church near East Tremont and vicar for the South Bronx, was more adamant that Catholics closely follow the teachings of the church.
"The letter is for the whole world, and the South Bronx is no different from the rest of the world," he said. "We have to preach. We have to be strong on issues of abortion because it destroys society and goes against our principles."
Some Catholics, who feel the church is too conservative, have left for Pentecostal churches, whose stance on issues like abortion is more lenient, according to a spokesperson at the Church of God in Mott Haven.
Sister Una McCormack, executive director of the Catholic Home Bureau, a social service agency, said each Catholic is responsible for responding to the pope's message.
"As a Catholic agency, we don't advocate abortion," she said. "We discuss options with clients, whether to keep the baby, or offer the baby for adoption or to foster homes."
Steve Plever, a spokesman for Planned Parenthood of New York City, said that he doesn't see the issue as the Catholic faith going against the pro-choice movement. Polls show that a majority of Catholics believed they could have an abortion and still be good Catholics, according to Plever.
The sentiment is reflected in broad-based Catholic support of pro-choice agencies like Planned Parenthood, he added.
"Many of our staff and clients are Catholic and they are able to reconcile with that," Plever said. "When our clients decide to have an abortion or use contraceptives, they are making moral decisions based on what's best for them, because they want to be the best mothers they could be," he said.
He added that young people don't understand the reasons to wait until they're married before getting pregnant.
"This is the effect of poverty, in a society that limits people's options," he said. "It's not about moral character."