As the nation mourns the loss of life in the Newtown, Conn. shooting, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver is saying that goodness and respect for human dignity are the best responses to evil.

“We’re most often the victims of evil when we become objects – used for someone’s else’s purposes – instead of treated with the inherent dignity that comes just from being a person,” the archbishop wrote in a Dec. 18 opinion column for the Denver Post.

“Evil is not defeated by policy. Protracted policy discussions on gun control and school safety are necessary and will be forthcoming, but they will not solve the problem,” he said.

“Goodness – sheer and unabashed goodness – protects and promotes human dignity. Evil is defeated by love and love alone,” he insisted.