Washington (CE) (Agenzia Fides 01/10/2012)
The Catholic Church in the United States is getting ready for the month of October with a series of initiatives to promote the defense of life. The first will take place on Sunday, October 7, with the opening celebration of Respect Life Month, a period dedicate to prayer and action to affirm the value and respect for the dignity of the human being. This year the celebration year will have the theme "Faith opens our eyes to human life in all its grandeur and beauty."

   In a note sent to Fides Agency, the Cardinal Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Chairman of the Committee for Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. episcopate, Daniel N. DiNardo noted that the issue is linked to the beginning of the Year of Faith (October 11) and the theme of peace, which the Cardinal recalled in particular Benedict XVI’s visit to Lebanon. "The links between faith, the inherent dignity and rights of human beings, and a fair and peaceful society, were also understood by the founding fathers of the United States and these basic moral principles have shaped, over thousand of years, civilization." However, he adds, "In recent decades, many people who influence public policy have promoted many exceptions to these principles."

   There are many issues that worry the episcopate: from abortion to the fight against poverty and discrimination. But also the end of life, the protection of marriage and death penalty are among the points of reflection, initiative launched in 1972 and is carried out in about two hundred archdioceses and dioceses. In the concluding note, the Cardinal recalls the "fronts" that remain open, especially the fight against abortion and the protection of freedom of conscience, shaken by new health care directives that impose the extension of health insurance coverage also for the voluntary termination of pregnancy and contraception (see Fides 13/06/2012). The Respect Life Program began in 1972, it is followed by 195 dioceses in the United States.