By MARNIE McALLISTER
Record Editor
The respect life menu is so big there’s something for everyone.
That’s how Ed Harpring, pro-life coordinator for the Archdiocese of Louisville, sees it.
“It sounds cliché, but all life is considered sacred from the moment of conception to natural death,” said Harpring during an interview this week. “Respect Life Month includes all these issues.
And the list continues to grow.
“More people are falling below the line of human dignity (in the eyes of society) — it’s the throwaway culture that Pope Francis talks about. We think some lives are dispensible.”
Among them are the unborn, disabled people, migrants, refugees, elderly people and the imprisoned, he noted.
“It’s overwhelming — you wonder, where do I jump in?” Harpring noted.
His answer is simple:
“Where is the Lord calling you to jump in?”
“Maybe I’m called to help immigrants, maybe I’m called to help single moms, maybe I’m called to work at a food kitchen,” he said. “We can all do something.”
If it’s difficult to begin, Harpring suggests prayer.
“Prayer is the catalyst for action. When we pray, generally the Lord hears our prayer,” he said, adding, “We are the hands and feet of Christ.”
While each person may be called to one cause or another, every effort on behalf of life is commendable, he noted.
“We should commend the people helping immigrants. And we should commend the people who are down there for 40 Days for Life” keeping vigil in front of an abortion clinic in downtown Louisville.
Harpring noted that some people may prefer legislative advocacy through the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. Others may choose direct work with vulnerable people. These and other options are available to anyone who wishes to get involved.
For more information about getting involved, contact Harpring at 502-636-0296 or at eharpring@archlou.org.
