{"id":1175,"date":"2012-09-27T06:04:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-27T06:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/us-bishops-urge-catholic-participation-in-respect-life-month\/"},"modified":"2012-09-27T06:04:00","modified_gmt":"2012-09-27T06:04:00","slug":"us-bishops-urge-catholic-participation-in-respect-life-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/09\/us-bishops-urge-catholic-participation-in-respect-life-month\/","title":{"rendered":"US bishops urge Catholic participation in Respect Life Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Sep 27, 2012 \/ 12:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The U.S. bishops' chairman on pro-life issues invited Catholics to commemorate the forty-first annual Respect Life Month through prayer, education and advocacy.<\/p>\n

\tRespect Life Month, along with the upcoming Year of Faith announced by Pope Benedict XVI, provides a \u201cvitally important\u201d opportunity for Catholics to \u201cspark a renewal of love and commitment to the true good of others,\u201d said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston.<\/p>\n

\tHe stressed that a change in the culture can only take place through the unwavering commitment and witness of the faithful, and their compassionate service to those in need.<\/p>\n

\tThe cardinal, who heads the pro-life committee for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, released a Sept. 25 statement on the 2012 Respect for Life Month, which will be observed by the Catholic Church this October, beginning with Respect Life Sunday on Oct. 7.<\/p>\n

\tCardinal DiNardo explained that the theme for the 2012 Respect Life Program is \u201cFaith opens our eyes to human life in all its grandeur and beauty,\u201d an idea expressed regularly by Pope Benedict XVI.<\/p>\n

\tDuring his recent trip to Lebanon, the pontiff emphasized this concept by stating, \u201cThe effectiveness of our commitment to peace depends on our understanding of human life,\u201d which inspires us \u201cto reject not only war and terrorism, but every assault on innocent human life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAmerica's founders also understood the necessity of faith in building the morality and respect for human dignity that is necessary for a peaceful and just society, Cardinal DiNardo said. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\u201cHow can people coexist, much less flourish, in a society lacking the shared belief that we are called to care for those unable to care for themselves, not to neglect, abuse or kill them?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\tThe cardinal observed a gradual erosion in the foundational principle of respect for human life throughout American society.<\/p>\n

\tThis trend began with the medical neglect of those with disabilities and fatal diseases, and eventually progressed to active measures to end the lives of the most vulnerable, who were viewed as a burden on society, he said.<\/p>\n

\tThese practices of aborting those with fetal abnormalities and aiding in the death of the sick and elderly have become not only approved but also receive state funding in some places, he observed, and forty years of legalized abortion has left a \u201cstaggering\u201d death toll and families stricken with pain and grief.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition, he said, innocent lives are routinely taken when fertility procedures result in multiple successful implanted embryos, prompting the \u201cselective reduction\u201d of some of the \u201cexcess\u201d children through induced heart attacks.<\/p>\n

\tThe cardinal also noted that the federal government continues to fund stem cell research that destroys human embryos, despite the failure of such research to yield results and the \u201cremarkable\u201d success of other types of stem cell research that do not take a human life.<\/p>\n

\tAnd soon, he said, even Catholic institutions will be forced to participate in \u201cprocedures they believe to be gravely wrong\u201d due to a federal mandate requiring coverage contraception, sterilization and early abortion drugs in employee health care plans.<\/p>\n

\tBut despite the ongoing challenges and new threats, there are also \u201cpositive signs\u201d that offer a \u201creason for hope,\u201d Cardinal DiNardo said.<\/p>\n

\tHe pointed to polls revealing that Americans increasingly identify as pro-life, along with numerous pro-life laws passed at the state level and a \u201csteady decline in the number of abortions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tFurthermore, he said, young adults in the Church are \u201cactively involved in promoting life through social media and services to those in need,\u201d while adult Catholics are discovering the \u201cwisdom and rightness\u201d of Church teaching when they have the chance to see it authentically and not merely through \u201cthe media's caricatures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThroughout Respect Life Month and the Year of Faith, Cardinal DiNardo invited Catholics to grow in their understanding of their faith, in order to \u201clive out these teachings more faithfully, witness them more radiantly in our actions, and propose them to others in fresh and engaging ways.\u201d
\n\t\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0
\n\tIt is only through a love that serves those in need regardless of personal cost that the culture of death can be overcome and a foundation laid for \u201ca civilization worthy of human beings made in God's image,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C., Sep 27, 2012 \/ 12:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The U.S. bishops' chairman on pro-life issues invited Catholics to commemorate the forty-first annual Respect Life Month through prayer, education and advocacy.<\/p>\n

\tRespect Life Month, along…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nUS bishops urge Catholic participation in Respect Life Month<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Washington D.C., Sep 27, 2012 \/ 12:04 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The U.S. bishops' chairman on pro-life issues invited Catholics to commemorate the forty-first annual Respect Life Month through prayer, education and advocacy. 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