By John Norton

Fostering a culture of life in a time of uncertainty

This upcoming week is an important one for Americans and Catholic Americans. Tuesday is the presidential inauguration and Thursday is the national March for Life in Washington, D.C.

You hold in your hands our annual "Respect Life" issue. Pages 9-17 contain six stories on the culture of life, from new efforts of pro-life pharmacies and physicians to practical ways you can help promote a culture that respects life from conception to natural death.

Be sure to check out some surprising abortion poll results on Page 15. According to a new survey by Harris Interactive, 82 percent of Americans support either making abortion illegal or imposing new legal limitations. We've laid out the details in a chart.

On the political front, Russell Shaw reports that pro-lifers are anxious about what direction President-elect Barack Obama will take on life issues, and will waste no time in letting him know where they stand. One way is through a postcard campaign organized by the U.S. bishops conference next weekend.

Finally, I mentioned in this space before Christmas that Our Sunday Visitor has created a prayer card: "A Prayer for Our Nation." The text of the prayer is inspired by one written by Baltimore Archbishop John Carroll, the first U.S. bishop, in 1791, two years after the election of our nation's first president, George Washington.

To receive a free copy of the prayer card, send us a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address on the masthead below, marked attention: "Prayer for nation card."

Here is a section of the original prayer that is especially appropriate ahead of this week's inauguration of President Barack Obama:

"We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the president of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality.

"Let the light of thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty." Amen.

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