There have been numerous attacks on people of faith, churches and synagogues across the world and even in our archdiocese and state. What do you make of these horrible crimes?

This week the Louisiana Legislature passed the Love Life Amendment, which provides an opportunity for Louisiana voters to ratify a simple, one-sentence protection of the unborn by ensuring that there is no right to abortion or the taxpayer funding of abortion in our state Constitution.

During Holy Week, you have traditionally gone to prisons in the area to meet with inmates, wash their feet and pray with them. How has this become such an important pastoral practice for you?

On Mother’s Day, we honor all mothers – biological mothers, adoptive mothers, foster mothers, step-mothers and single mothers. All of these women have a special place in our prayers and in our hearts on Mother’s Day. We also pray for women who wish to share in the vocation of motherhood but for whatever reason cannot do so.

You’ve launched a major initiative to have Catholic high school students participate in a widespread effort to repeal the death penalty in Louisiana. Can you explain why? I am working with St. Joseph Sister Helen Prejean, who has devoted much of her religious life to advocating for the repeal of the death penalty.

Holy Week is here, which is always described as the summit of the church’s liturgical season. Can you share some thoughts on Holy Week? One of the joys of Holy Week for me is the opportunity to welcome hundreds of people into the Catholic Church. This year we have nearly 350 people who will enter the church at the Easter Vigil.

Earlier this week at St. Rita Church in New Orleans, you celebrated Mass and awarded the Altar Server of the Year awards to 79 altar servers from parishes across the archdiocese. Can you talk about the importance of this recognition? The Serra Clubs of New Orleans have sponsored this recognition of Altar Servers of the Year for decades, and it’s always a delightful and joyful occasion for me.

For the last several years you have made available the sacrament of confession in every parish on three consecutive Wednesdays during Lent. Those remaining archdiocesan-wide opportunities will be the next two Wednesdays, April 3 and April 10, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Why is this initiative in reconciliation so important to you?

Last week, you welcomed 331 women, men and children who will enter the Catholic Church in their parishes at the Easter Vigil. Why was this “Rite of Election” so important and why should we be so joyful?

We seem to have been in a “forever” war on drugs, but the toll exacted by drugs appears to be growing every year. Is there anything the archdiocese can do take a meaningful stand?

For the second straight year, you have designated this weekend, the First Sunday of Lent, as “Safe Haven Sunday,” designating a time to raise awareness of the scourge of pornography in our community. What’s the purpose of this initiative?

On Ash Wednesday, we will begin our 40-day Lenten journey. During this time, God will call us to look carefully at ourselves and identify our weakness and sin. We are reminded that God loves us even in our weakness and calls us to a change of heart to draw closer to him.

You’ve mentioned in the past about married couples who have come to you to discuss the difficulties they are having in conceiving a child and to ask for your prayers. Can you talk about this very sensitive topic?

You celebrated Mass last Saturday in honor of the World Day for Consecrated Life. Can you talk about vocations in general – which would include vocations to the priesthood or religious life and vocations to the married or single life?

Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Clarion Herald Commentary You have spoken often about human trafficking being a pro-life issue. Could you explain why that is? Human trafficking is an affront to human dignity. It is a modern form of slavery. It is an economically motivated crime in which a victim – through force, fraud or coercion – is compelled to engage in commercial sex acts or labor.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed an ominous abortion bill into law – the “Reproductive Health Act” – that in many cases legalizes abortion up until birth. How does this news hit you? It hits me as horrific and shocking. It’s called the “Reproductive Health Act.” I don’t think we can define something as “health” when it allows taking a child’s life in the womb. Another sad irony is that Gov. Cuomo signed the bill into law on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, which for nearly 50 years has legalized the taking of unborn human life, resulting in the deaths of least 60 million babies since 1973. He even directed the spire on the One World Trade Center and several other state buildings to be lit pink to “celebrate this achievement and shine a bright light forward for the rest of the nation to follow.” The governor demanded that the law be passed before he would agree to approve the state budget. We all know there is, in general, a lack of respect for the dignity of human life in our country. This law sets up another chilling precedent, which is very scary. What’s the difference between ending a child’s life in the womb or letting the baby be born and then taking the child’s life? Under the new law, non-doctors are now allowed to conduct abortions. The procedure could be performed until the mother’s due date if the woman’s health is endangered or if the fetus is not viable. The previous law allowed abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy only if a woman’s life was at risk.

The family is the heart of the domestic church, and, as family members, we all have special stories that we love to pass on from generation to generation. In the same way, our civic and religious communities have stories to pass on. One amazing story that has been retold for more than 200 years by both our civic and faith families has roots in what happened in the Battle of New Orleans on Jan. 8, 1815, in Chalmette, just downriver from New Orleans. It is a story of perseverance in prayer during an overnight vigil on the eve of the battle. 

A blessed Christmas to you and all you hold in your heart! In the quiet of the night, in the dark of the night, a young couple could not find a place to rest, and so they went to a stable.

Pope Francis has called for the bishops of the United States to meet as a group for a one-week retreat beginning Jan. 2 at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago. What are your thoughts about that?

Pope Francis last week finished up his catechesis on the Ten Commandments at his general audience in Rome. What struck you about his teaching? For decades, popes have used their weekly audience as a time to teach and call us to discipleship.