‘It is wrong to look the other way and remain silent’

More than 225 Catholics gathered at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Little Rock on the morning of Oct. 6 for worship and to pray the rosary before taking part in a Eucharistic procession through the capital’s streets to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in St. .Edward Church in Little Rock.

Although the Mass and March for Life are held each year in January to primarily focus on the importance of protecting the unborn, Respect Life Month provides an opportunity for Catholics to examine all of life’s issues.

Catherine Phillips, diocesan director of Respect for Life, said that Respect for Life Sunday is filled with events, such as masses and times of prayer and confessions and procession and sharing of food, to reinforce the importance of issues that affect the entire spectrum of life. life.

“We’re really trying to promote Respect Life Month, starting with Respect Life Sunday on October 6,” Phillips said. “…To bring our attention to the gift of life, the sanctity and dignity of every person’s life, but also to give thanks to God for what he has done here specifically in Arkansas, helping us keep abortion out of our state , which did not happen without divine intervention. We are so grateful that we are not fighting the abortion battle at the ballot box right now. …It is indeed a great moment to bear public witness to our firm conviction that every life is a gift, that every life is precious, that every human person has equal dignity in the eyes of the Lord.”

Phillips said Respect Life Month brings attention to other issues that impact lives such as suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty, caring for people with disabilities and reaffirms that “every life is precious and valuable.”

The mile-long Eucharistic procession was a new addition to this year’s Respect for Life Sunday.

Seminarians, bell ringers, the Knights of Columbus, and other Catholic lay organizations led the half-mile procession down Seventh Street and Sherman Street, followed by a crowd of Catholics. Curious spectators taking advantage of the sunny weather spontaneously joined the procession, as did others watching from their porches and porches.

Since the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, and with abortion not on the ballot in Arkansas, many Catholics have shifted their attention to other social issues they consider more pressing. Phillips reaffirmed that work still needs to be done on these issues, whether they are on the ballot or not.

“Yes, I’m breathing a sigh of relief today, but many of us who worked on the Refuse to Sign campaign to get abortion off the ballot felt…like we were so close to having an abortion on our ballot,” Phillips said. “Now, I firmly believe that most good people in Arkansas do not want abortion in Arkansas, but it is very clear that some people do.

“It’s also very clear that people don’t understand everything about this issue. That education is very important and that increasing understanding of what is and is not an abortion is very important. May it increase the understanding of what the sanctity of life really means, when life really begins, that it really is precious. And again, it’s not just abortion. It is throughout life.

“… If you think abortion is over, it’s not. Yes, thank God, it’s illegal in Arkansas. But the factors and difficult circumstances that lead people to think abortion is necessary have not gone away. Women still face difficult decisions when they are diagnosed or often misdiagnosed with an apparent fetal anomaly.”

In his homily during the Respect for Life Mass at St. Edward’s Church, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor said women still face challenges when contemplating abortion.

“The overturn of Roe v. Wade may have reduced the number of abortions, but he did not end abortions,” said Bishop Taylor. “The issue has now fallen to the states, and many women now travel to other states for abortions. Merely changing laws will not put an end to abortion. The only lasting solution is to change hearts. And we will only change hearts when we begin to embrace a consistent life ethic.”

Bishop Taylor echoed Pope Francis’ call for a consistent life ethic.

“Pope Francis insisted that everything was connected, thus bridging the American political divide between those who are passionate about abortion but weak when it comes to social justice, and those who are passionate about social justice but weak when it comes to abortion.” , he said. . “Abortion is clearly the most depraved expression of what Pope Francis calls our throwaway culture… but abortion is not an isolated issue. … Pope Francis said that the innocent victims of abortion, the children who die of hunger or bombings, the immigrants who drown in search of a better tomorrow, the elderly or sick who are considered a burden, the victims of wars, the terrorism, violence and drug trafficking, the environment devastated by man’s predatory relationship with nature… in all of this the gift of God is at stake, of which we are all noble administrators, but not masters.

“It is wrong to look the other way and remain silent. We are here today because we are not willing to look away or remain silent when it comes to abortion. Pope Francis is challenging us not to remain silent on any of these other areas.”

Dale Flamand, president of the state Knights of Columbus Culture of Life, stood guard during the day’s events. He said that when doing pro-life work, it is important to keep Christ at the center. “Today, Jesus led us through the streets of Little Rock,” said Flamand Arkansas Catholic. “We walk as a family, we pray as a family, and we share the gift of true life – his body and blood. Today was a good day. Bishop Taylor’s homily reminded us that the act of abortion is just one of many respect-for-life issues that we must remember and work to end. We can’t do this alone – we need God’s help.”