Annual Day for Life 2013: Care for life. It’s worth it

The Catholic Bishop’s Conference has published a list of the themes chosen for the 2013 ‘Day for Life’, which will be held on next Sunday October 6^th, and have  published a pastoral message from which the following extracts have been taken.

The full text can be found on this link.

Day for Life is celebrated annually by the Catholic Church in Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales. It is a day dedicated to celebrating the dignity of life from conception to natural death. This year’s Day for Life will be celebrated in Ireland on Sunday 6 October and will focus on the theme: Caring for Life.

This year’s message begins with the words of Pope Francis taken from a homily in 2005 on the Feast of the Patron Saint of expectant mothers and midwives, when His Holiness spoke simply and beautifully about what promoting a culture of life really means:

“Jesus teaches us to care for life because it is the image of God, who is absolute life. We cannot announce anything else but life, and from the beginning to the end. All of us must care for life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth……..to give life is to open (our) hearts for others…… Caring for life from the beginning to the end. What a simple thing, what a beautiful thing…. So, go forth and don’t be discouraged. Care for life. It’s worth it!”

Day for Life 2013 will place particular focus on:

Care for unborn children and their mothers

Care for people who are elderly

Care for those who are suicidal and their families

Bishops invite the faithful to read the short pastoral message ‘Care for Life: It’s Worth It’ which is now available on www.catholicbishops.ie in the Irish, English and Polish languages.

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013

Bishops discussed the sacredness of human life in the context of the enactment of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act 2013.  They expressed their deep gratitude to everyone who showed their concern in a respectful way when challenging the passage of this  legislation.  In particular bishops acknowledged those national public representatives who did so at great political risk to themselves.  Bishops reiterated “to legislate for abortion does not make it morally acceptable, and the direct and intentional ending of the life of an unborn child, at any stage of pregnancy, is always gravely wrong.”

Bishops discussed the need to support women in crisis pregnancies and the vital roles that fathers have to be supportive particularly in such circumstances.  Bishops encouraged expectant mothers and fathers facing a crisis and/or unplanned pregnancy to avail of the support offered by the Church’s crisis pregnancy agency Cura on 1850 622 626 and on www.cura.ie

Bishops welcomed the recent comments made by Pope Francis in his address to the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations and Catholic gynaecologists on 20 September 2013, when he said “so often we find ourselves in situations where we see that what is valued the least is life.  That is why concern for human life in its totality has become in recent years a real priority for the Church’s teaching.”

Pope Francis went on to express support for the work of the medical specialists reminding them that there is no human life more sacred than another.  He said “the credibility of a healthcare system is not measured solely by efficiency, but above all by the attention and love given to the person, whose life is always sacred and inviolable.”

Day for Life

When Blessed John Paul II, in his Encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, proposed that a special Day for Life should be held throughout the world he said that he wanted this Day for Life to be celebrated ‘each year in every country, as already established by some Episcopal Conferences.  The celebration of this Day should be planned and carried out with the active participation of all sectors of the local Church.  Its primary purpose should be to foster in individual consciences, in families, in the Church and in civil society a recognition of the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition.  Particular attention should be drawn to the seriousness of abortion and euthanasia, without neglecting other aspects of life which from time to time deserve to be given careful consideration, as occasion and circumstances demand. …’

It is very encouraging, therefore, to read the message of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference for the 2011 Day for Life, which this year takes place on Sunday, 2 October.

In their Day for Life message, the Bishops quote Pope Benedict XVI – 

‘ …. We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in God alone, not in money, in a career, in worldly success, or in our relationships with others, but in God.  Only he can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts.’

Continuing, the Bishops tell us:

‘As a Christian, the deepest joy in life does not come from what I have or what I can achieve.  It comes from the knowledge that even before I was formed in my mother’s womb I was known and loved by my Creator (Jer 1:5; Psalm 139): that from the first moment of conception to natural death I am loved personally by God and have an eternal future. … Building a culture of life also commits us to building a civilisation of love: it involves showing practical solidarity and concern for those around us who are in need.  A society that protects those who are vulnerable and weak contributes to our shared happiness: a society that shows love and concern for others who are in need enhances our quality of life.  … In one of the most powerful affirmations of the sacredness of life in the womb, [St.] Luke tells us that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child in her womb “leaped for joy” (Lk 1:44). …  By embracing a culture of life, and standing with those marginalized and deemed “useless” or a “burden” on society, we can turn the values of our consumer society upside down.  We can contribute to the happiness and quality of life of all by ensuring respect for the life of every person, from conception to natural death.  … Day for Life 2011 is a call for us to work for a society in which all are valued as created, loved by God, redeemed by Christ; not for their fame, or power or what they own but for their intrinsic worth. …’

The Bishops also quote from Pope Benedict’s Encyclical Caritas in Veritate: ‘Openness to life is at the centre of true development.  When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man’s true good. … The acceptance of life strengthens moral fibre and makes people capable of mutual help.’

[Emphasis added]

It is good to hear the Bishops talk about the vital importance of respect for human life at every stage, from the moment of conception to natural death.

But why, oh why, is this message not being announced from the pulpit of every church in Ireland?   Why is this message not being handed out personally to everybody as they are coming out of the church, particularly after Mass