Editorial

Respect for life begins with the baby in the womb, but it must continue throughout the life of every person. Of course, parents are the most important caregivers. But other family members and the community at large also share responsibility for the life and health of everyone in our society.

	Forty Days for Life Forty Days for Life is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week prayer vigil outside local abortion centers. It ends on November 4. In Madison, it is being held outside Planned Parenthood on 3706 Orin Rd., off Hwy. 51. Visit www.40daysforlife.com/madison
	Related items this week: • Forty Days for Life: Bishop Morlino will pray at abortion clinic • Bishop Morlino -- Respect Life Month: Must remain faithful to what we know

The Catholic Church has always emphasized the importance of caring for all people: mind, body, and soul. Jesus Christ himself ministered to the whole person, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, curing the sick, and healing the troubled.

Some fortunate, others not. Today, many of us are fortunate to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. We have plenty of food, clothing, and shelter. We can afford luxuries that our ancestors never imagined.

But not everyone is so lucky. Even in this land of opportunity and wealth, there are millions of people who do not have enough food to eat, clothing to wear, or even a place to call home. And millions of people in this country do not have health insurance to provide for basic health care.

Necessity for health care. Access to health care is a foundation for life itself. Parents need to provide preventative health care to keep their children healthy. Without check-ups and immunizations, babies and young children may not get the immediate care they need to combat illnesses.

At a recent public policy breakfast in Los Angeles, Calif., Cardinal Roger M. Mahony lamented the fact that more than six million Californians do not have health insurance. "The uninsured receive too little medical service and receive it too late, and receive poorer care when they are in hospitals," he said in a Catholic News Service article. "And so we cannot tolerate the injustice of profit over people."

The cardinal highlighted the following health care principles: universal, continuous, affordable to families, sustainable for society, and designed to enhance health and well-being.

Health care for all. Many countries outside of the United States have universal health insurance and health coverage. It seems as if our country should be able to come up with a way to provide basic health care for all our citizens.

We must work at the state and federal levels to support coverage for all people, but especially our children. We all need to share responsibility for funding health care so that everyone benefits. As Catholics who respect all human life, this must be a priority. We must hold our elected representatives accountable for achieving this goal.

Mary C. Uhler

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