Alberto Mora, co-organizer of the group, welcomed the twenty of us who were assembled and explained that the founding of the discussion group was inspired by a lecture on John Paul II's book, Love & Responsibility, given earlier at Lincoln House by George Sim Johnston. Alberto hoped that our discussion group would help make the Pope's thinking on this important subject more widely known.

Chris Slattery, co-host of the group, welcomed everyone to Todd Lincoln House and gave a brief history of the townhouse, which was originally home to Abraham Lincoln's two granddaughters. Currently, Todd Lincoln House is owned by Jim Manning who desires that it be used for pro-life, pro-family purposes. Chris Slattery heads Expectant Mother Care, which operates a crisis pregnancy center in the basement of Lincoln House.

Peter McFadden, the other co-organizer of the group, then gave a talk on the Pope and how reading his book was a beautiful experience for him. He noted that it is important to keep in mind that the Pope is both a philosopher and a priest. As a philosopher, the Pope is actually quite highly regarded, having presented papers at many European philosophical conferences before becoming Pope. His philosophical bent, and his penchant for complex words and language, however, make the Pope a very challenging read.

The Pope is worth reading, however, because he is also a priest, and his philosophical writing is motivated by his love for people. The Pope, in particular, has great affection for young people. He often took them on group outings to Poland's mountains, and listened to them discuss their lives and their problems. His book, Love & Responsibility, was written while the Pope was Bishop of Cracow, and although it is a work of philosophy, it was directly concerned with the lives of the young people committed to his pastoral care.

Peter described how reading the Pope's book had given him a deeper understanding of love and how we should relate to each other. It had also given him a deeper appreciation for the priesthood, and for Pope John Paul II in particular, as the book is powerful evidence that priests can offer wise guidance on issues regarding love and marriage, even if they do lead celibate lives. Peter also spoke about how the book had deepened his love for the Church, as it is a marvel to behold that someone such as John Paul II, from obscure origins in a small Polish village, could be elected Pope. Lastly, he noted that reading the Pope's book had also given him a greater love of God, as the Pope had helped him appreciate more deeply the mysteries of creation and also revelation. He hoped that others in the group would gain as much from reading the book as he had.

Jackie Asencio added an interesting note when she related that John Paul II had been the first priest in Poland to organize a pre-Cana conference. This not only underscored further the Pope's practical concern for young people but also the Pope's significance in regard to the development of the Church's thinking on love and marriage.

Thus, in undertaking to read Love and Responsibility, we are committing ourselves to a challenging but profoundly important task. It is hoped that each of us in the discussion group will provide encouragement to the others as we make our way through this book in the coming months.