159 Essays on Infinite Lifespans   Brad F. Mellon Paul II in his treatise entitled, The Gospel of Life resound with those of Jesus and deserve to be quoted in full: The  Gospel  of  life  is  at  the  heart  of  Jesus’  message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as ‘good news’ to the people of every age and culture…. When he presents the heart of his redemptive mission, Jesus says: ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly’ (John 10:10). In truth, he is referring to that ‘new’ and ‘eter- nal’ life which consists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this ‘life’ that all aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance. [3] He goes on to say that God himself has placed “inestimable value” upon our temporal life here on earth. Life is a “sacred reality” that has been entrusted to us, and the result is a respon- sibility to preserve our own life and that of others. The ambitious mission of the Institute to eradicate what its members see as the “blight” of involuntary death can also be seen as consistent with at least two of the interests set forth by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In an apparent attempt to assure that every effort will be made to prevent premature death, the Commonwealth has placed a premium on preserving life and protecting third parties. ‘Third parties’ are those who are financially dependent on their parents, other family members, or guardians. It is not hard to imagine how efforts to preserve and extend physical life might benefit such dependents. Another positive aspect of the Institute’s mission is that it can serve as a counterbalance to what many would call the present-day ‘culture of death’. [4] Peter Singer, for example, has expounded the view that human beings should not be set above other forms of life and gives the illustration that an