By Patrick T. Brown | Associate Editor

 “It’s another boy!” “A lot of people want intact hearts these days.” “I want a Lamborghini.”

Those quotes, from undercover videos showing the alleged sales of fetal remains for profit by Planned Parenthood clinics, symbolized for many what Pope Francis has called the “throw-away culture.”

The videos and related controversy have led to a renewed focus on the topic of abortion, from how aborted babies’ remains are treated to legislative efforts to protect the unborn.

But in addition to the issues that capture the headlines, this year’s celebration of Respect Life Sunday on Oct. 4 is a reminder that authentic respect for human life is not just limited to working for an end to abortion, but protecting the dignity of every human person from beginning to end.

This year’s Respect Life Sunday theme, “Every Life is Worth Living,” serves as a reminder of the inherent dignity each human being is endowed with as a son or daughter of God.

The message this year emphasizes “includ[ing] the unborn as well as the elderly, the disabled,” said Hubert Mador, who with his wife, Joan, co-chairs the Respect Life ministry at St. Veronica Parish in Howell. “These are the people that society is kind of ignoring or forgetting.”

 In a statement, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said the message brings attention to the fact that “at every stage and in every circumstance, we are held in existence by God’s love.

“An elderly man whose health is quickly deteriorating; an unborn baby girl whose diagnosis indicates she may not live long; a little boy with Down syndrome; a mother facing terminal cancer – each may have great difficulties and need our assistance, but each of their lives is worth living.”

The theme of “Every Life is Worth Living” has been explored by Pope Francis as well, such as in an December 2013 address to a delegation from the Institute for Human Dignity. The Holy Father said “precisely the weakest and most fragile human beings – the unborn, the poorest people, sick elderly people, gravely disabled people - ...are in danger of being ‘thrown out.’”

In his recent pastoral visit to Cuba, Pope Francis also specifically highlighted the unborn aborted due to pre-natal medical diagnoses as victims of a culture that treats human life as dispensable.

Nationally, the Respect Life Sunday efforts come at a time when the series of online videos focusing on Planned Parenthood’s treatment of fetal remains have “reenergized our efforts here in New Jersey,” said Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life.

“We held a rally on July 28, with very short notice, on the hottest day of the year, and it was very well attended,” said Tasy. “We heard of people who are not normally involved but were horrified what they saw.

“It seems like the same sort of renewal that we saw during the partial-birth abortion debate – pushing the issue to the forefront…As horrific as [the videos] are, and they are horrific and gruesome, they are re-energizing the conversation.”

The conversation was also re-energized in Washington, where on Tuesday, Sept. 22, the U.S. Senate considered but failed to advance the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S.1553). The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks, the time when babies are said to be able to feel pain, with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother is at risk.

A similar bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 242-184 on May 13. The Senate bill garnered a majority with a 54-42 tally in favor of the measure, but fell short of the three-fifths of the chamber needed to send the bill to President Barack Obama. The White House had indicated that President Obama would have vetoed the bill had it passed the Senate.

Another measure, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 (H.R. 3134), which would bar federal funds from going to the controversial organization, passed the House by a vote of 241-187, and is expected to be taken up by the Senate in the next week.

While New Jersey Right to Life has supported both measures, Tasy says that efforts like Respect Life Sunday are a reminder that protecting life includes, but is not limited to, fighting abortion.

The annual day is “an opportunity to get pro-life folks together to celebrate life and prayerfully exhibit their support for all life,” Tasy said. “The theme ‘Every Life is Worth Living’ covers the whole gamut…respect for life not just in the womb but from the moment of conception all the way to natural death.”

In Howell, the Madors will be helping St. Veronica Parish organize their annual life chain, where 80-100 people prayerfully witness outside the parish rectory on Route 9 for one hour.

“We’ve being doing this for over 20 years, a powerful, prayerful protest on behalf of human life,” Hubert Mador said. “We hold very simple signs - nothing graphic - with a powerful message. Signs that say simply ‘Abortion kills children’ or ‘Women deserve better than abortion’...We get a lot of reaction and support. It’s one of our biggest events.

“People have been lied to for so long and the message is finally starting to get out, especially among young people. Abortion really is the killing of innocent human life, and that’s an important message to hear.”

If you or someone you know is suffering after abortion, confidential non-judgmental help is available. Call Project Rachel’s national toll-free number at 888-456-HOPE, or speak directly with the Project Rachel coordinator in the Diocese of Trenton, Donna Goodwin, at 609-406-7435 or [email protected].