Bishop’s Message – Respect Life Month

Respect Life Month: Working to safeguard all human life

Our creed reminds us that we believe in “the life of the world to come.”  This means that, because human life on this earth is just the beginning of what will be eternal, it carries with it an essential and enduring dignity. But even though we move through death to eternal life, our life here on earth is still both brief and fragile. Our experience of COVID has given us a greater understanding of the frailty of human life. So many people have been sick; so many have passed away. Even with modern technology and medicine, it takes a great deal of effort to care for, nurture and protect human life.

The Catholic Church has a wonderful tradition of guarding and protecting human life and proclaims the divine law that requires that we protect the sacredness of every human life from the moment of conception until natural death. This is not only for its own sake and dignity, but for the salvation of souls, so that we can experience the fullness of human life in eternity. Therefore, our Church invites us daily into a greater appreciation and understanding of our life and a greater responsibility of being stewards and advocates for all human life.

It was both deliberate and strategic that this summer I appointed a priest, Father Dan Carr, as the spokesperson and Director for Pro-Life Activities for the Diocese of Greensburg. I feel, more than ever, that we must be actively engaged in advocating respect for all human life. In placing a priest in this position, I hope to convey the seriousness and priority that must be placed on this activity in our Diocese.

On Sept. 27, I joined many others in Harrisburg at the first-ever Pennsylvania March for Life in order to make a public statement that we as Catholics support life at all stages. Additionally, the Greensburg Diocesan Council of the National Council of Catholic Women held a pro-life breakfast Oct. 2 as a part of their charism to advocate for the needs of the Church. The importance of events such as these cannot be overstated.

There are so many ways for us to express our pro-life beliefs. My hope is that this issue of The Catholic Accent during this pro-life month of October will inspire you to prayer, to advocacy and to respond to the needs of the Church and the whole world in safeguarding this most fundamental and preeminent social justice issue — the respect of all human life from the first moment of conception.

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