The commitment of Pope John Paul II to building a Culture of Life was celebrated during a Mass celebrated April 2 --- the second anniversary of his death --- at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

And his message carries particular meaning for Californians dedicated to upholding the principles of respect for life, said Cardinal Roger Mahony, given the renewed effort in the state legislature to pass a bill that would legalize assisted suicide.

"Assembly Bill 374 is a new danger, a new assault" on the gospel of life that the late pope made the title of "one of his greatest encyclicals," the cardinal said in his homily at the noon Mass. "If Pope John Paul II were standing here with us today, he would hold up his Gospel of Life very powerfully in response to AB 374 and say, we must not go down that path."

Cardinal Mahony called the legislation "unnecessary," as well as "against God's law. Just as we welcome newborn children with great joy, so must we accompany one another on that last leg of the journey in dignity and according to God's plan."

He added that he was especially saddened and troubled that Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez --- "whose district includes the Cathedral, and who has worshipped here" --- has added his name as a sponsor to AB 374. "We should all be troubled that Fabian Nunez has not grasped the meaning of the culture of life, and has allowed himself to be swept into the other direction."

The cardinal said he met with Nunez recently, gave him a copy of John Paul's "Gospel of Life, and asked him to "please read it carefully. And I encourage all of us in the archdiocese to make our voices heard in opposition to the culture of death, to contact our legislators to vote down this attack on life."

Cardinal Mahony expressed his gratitude to people of the archdiocese who have worked hard to promote respect for life, in the model of John Paul II, "who decried the increasing culture of death in all its forms. May we continue, without hesitation, to be people of faith, life and light."