DENVER, February 21, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, Colorado commenced the Lenten season today, Ash Wednesday, by issuing a message to his diocese reminding the faithful “As we offer our prayers to God this Lent, let’s ask Him to restore us as a culture of life — a culture committed to the sanctity of every life, from the unborn child to the mentally disabled, the infirm and the elderly, and yes, even the condemned criminal.”

Let us especially pray for the conversion of the faithful to embrace God’s gift of life and human sexuality. Something like 96% of Catholic couples practice artificial contraception and a good majority of couples cohabitate prior to getting married. It seems that Catholic families are getting smaller and smaller and the divorce rate mirrors the national average. The re-birth of a culture of life depends on the re-birth of good, holy marriage and family vocations totallly open to the gift of life. That is my special intention this Lent.