Respect Life Sunday designated for October 1

“God’s love does not differentiate between the newly conceived human infant still in his or her mother’s womb and the child or young person, or the adult and the elderly person. God does not distinguish between them because he sees an impression of his own image and likeness (Gn I:26) in each one.

- Pope Benedict XVI

The annual Respect Life Program is sponsored by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and calls attention to numerous life issues. The theme of this year’s program is Created, Loved, Redeemed by God. Educational and liturgical resources have been mailed to parishes and are also available on line at www.usccb.org/prolife/programs/

rlp/rlp0607.htm.

This year’s materials include articles about Catholic sexual ethics, why marriage matters to children and to the common good, protecting children in their first environment – the womb, partial-birth abortion, and advocacy against the death penalty.