By Michael Motes

The 1975 Respect Life Program begins Sunday, October 5, in 160 Catholic dioceses and more than 18,000 parishes in the United States.

Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan of Atlanta is a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' (NCCB) Committee for Pro-Life Activities which is sponsoring the nationwide observance.

Headed by Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York, the aim of the week-long program as established by the NCCB committee is to "focus attention on the enduring need for justice and for structures that will protect the dignity of man and insure human rights."

First observed in 1972 as a "week of prayer and study," the 1975 program has broadened its scope and time frame and will have as its main theme "Family Life."

Six categories make up the week's program: The Unborn, Marriage and Family Life, Children, Women, The Aging and Death And Dying.

A handbook entitled "Respect Life!" and other materials, prepared at the direction of the Bishops' Committee, have been distributed to parishes, schools and diocesan personnel to be used as a guide for preparing homilies, lectures and conducting special projects.

On Sunday, October 5, the program will focus on the dignity and humanity of the unborn child and the child's right to life. This emphasis is seen as especially important, according to the NCCB, because "we live in a society that consistently denies the value of unborn children, as most recently evidenced by the future of the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments to recommend any type of amendment that would restore to unborn children the full protection of law guaranteed to all other citizens."

The Respect Life Program will reaffirm the inherent dignity of the unborn child and will also emphasize the commitment of the American Catholic Bishops to continue efforts to educate people and to secure full legal protection for unborn American children.

In the introduction of the "Respect Life!" manual, the Bishops' Committee states, "The responsibility of every member of God's human family to promote and foster a genuine respect for human life is an ongoing challenge of first priority in today's world. Though situations abound in which the sanctity of human life is denied or ignored, nations and peoples are coming to a new understanding of human rights within the context of international relationships.

"The annual Respect Life Program is meant to focus our attention on the enduring need for justice and for structures that will protect the dignity of man and insure human rights. It is not simply to decry the existence of injustice in the world, but to emphasize the theological foundation of mankind's thirst for justice."

According to the NCCB publication, the main theme of "family life" was taken for two reasons:

"First, respect for life involves respect for the person and for human dignity. The life of the individual person begins in a family, and personal growth and development usually takes place within the family unit.

"In fact, the bishops state, "the primary learning experience of respect for the rights of others occurs in the earliest years of family life. Moreover, material and spiritual needs are met, and opportunities for self-development are provided in the context of family relationships. We can say that education for justice and social harmony is learned first of all in the family.

"The second reason for this focus in the Respect Life Program this year is that the welfare of society is very much dependent on the stability and well-being of the family. A fair and equitable distribution of material goods, a legal structure that respects family rights, the availability of housing, employment opportunities, education and health care are basic to insuring family stability. But society must also clearly proclaim the value of marriage and family life, and assist married couples in achieving stability and success in their marriage relationship."

The Georgia Right to Life Committee, chaired by Jay Bowman, who is also a member of the National Right to Life executive committee, is distributing 25,000 copies of a brochure entitled "Life Is In Your Hands" in conjunction with Respect Life week.

In the brochure, suggestions are given on what each individual can do to help secure a human life amendment. Heading the suggestions is a plea to write congressmen. All local congressional representatives are listed with their addresses.

Bowman and his wife, Cherie, are available for discussion programs in connection with Respect Life and may be telephoned at 939-6239. Nationally, parishes will highlight the other aspects of the program in subsequent weeks and months. Some parishes will use some of the various program topics during Lent. Schools and religious education programs are expected to adopt a schedule suitable to their own specific needs.

The 1975 Respect Life handbook provides essays, bibliographies and suggestions for programs on all six divisions of the general Family Life theme. There is also a section on children which emphasizes that the child is "a unique person with special claims on the entire human family" and a format which highlights the contributions of women and obstacles to their full enjoyment of basic human rights.