As sent by Christ to serve the weak, downtrodden and defenseless, the Church must speak on behalf of those most in need of protection. It is a source of comfort that this position is shared by people of many faiths. Those who respect life must accompany their teaching about the value of every human life with concrete and effective acts of solidarity to people in difficult situations. Violence in any form is a denial of human dignity. Individuals have a responsibility for what is happening.
Families have a responsibility.
Society has a heavy responsibility. Everybody must be willing to accept their part of this responsibility, including the media which in part seem to become more aware of the effect they can have on their audiences. Everybody must be committed to fostering a profound sense of the value of life and dignity of the human person. The whole of society must work to change the structural conditions which lead people, especially the young, to the lack of vision, the loss of esteem for themselves and for others which lead to violence. But since the root of violence is in the human heart, society will be condemned to go on causing it, feeding it and even, to an extent, glorifying it, unless it reaffirms the moral and religious truths which alone are an effective barrier to lawlessness and violence, because these truths alone are capable of enlightening and strengthening conscience.