Bishop expresses that Respect Life Month holds additional significance during the Jubilee Year
In October, the nation's Catholics will observe Respect Life Month, a tradition that dates back to 1973 when the Catholic Church in the U.S. first designated October as such. This year's observance dovetails with the call of the Jubilee Year, which challenges people to be agents of hope to those burdened by trial, difficulty, or suffering.
Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, is leading the initiative. According to Bishop Thomas, it is important to work to ensure that every life, in every stage and circumstance, is protected in law.
The surge in abortions during the 1970s and 1980s, as per data from the Guttmacher Institute, is a testament to the urgent need for this protection. However, recent data suggests that abortion rates have increased slightly in recent years, even after the Supreme Court reversed its Roe and Doe rulings in 2022.
Bishop Thomas has highlighted two Church outreach programs as part of the Respect Life Month initiative. 'Walking with Moms in Need' is an USCCB-led initiative that helps parishes and communities to befriend and support pregnant and newly parenting women. The Project Rachel Ministry, under the auspices of the USCCB, provides post-abortion healing.
The Catholic Church has long affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. Since the first century, this sacred institution has held that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death. This belief extends to intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, which the Church considers murder.
Bishop Thomas has not shied away from addressing recent examples of disregard for the sanctity of life. He has cited the mass shooting at a Minnesota Catholic school, mistreatment of immigrants, and political and ideological violence as such examples.
In his impromptu remarks, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of each baptized person feeling called by God to be a sign of hope in the world today. Bishop Thomas echoed this sentiment, thanking Catholics for their prayers in banning Planned Parenthood and other big abortion businesses from receiving federal Medicaid dollars for one year. He also called for continued prayers throughout Respect Life Month for the end of all taxpayer funding of abortion centers.
The USCCB's Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities provides resources to help understand Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life. For those seeking post-abortion healing, the Project Rachel Ministry stands ready to offer support. For pregnant and newly parenting women in need of assistance, 'Walking with Moms in Need' offers a helping hand.
As the nation observes Respect Life Month, let us remember the words of Pope Leo XIV and Bishop Thomas: each of us is called to be a sign of hope in the world today. Let us strive to protect and cherish all human life, from conception to natural death.
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