Calling the dignity of the human person "a primary doctrine" of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York told an audience at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana Dec. 6 that it must prompt Catholics "to treat ourselves and others only with respect, love, honour and care."

That doctrine also means people must not be identified "with our urges, our flaws, our status, our possessions, our utility," but each seen as "a child of God, his creation, modeled in his own image, destined for eternity," he said.