Vatican
City, 17 July 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a special message
to Catholics across Britain and Ireland, ahead of the annual Day for
Life, which was held in Scotland on 28 May, and will be celebrated in
England and Wales next Sunday, 28 July. The theme of the event will
be ‘Care for Life – It’s Worth It’, taken from a homily
preached by Cardinal Bergoglio in 2005 during a Mass in honour of St.
Raymond Nonnatus, protector of expectant mothers.
On
that occasion, Pope Francis emphasised that “We must all care for
life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth ... to give life is to
open our hearts, and to care for life is to give oneself in
tenderness and warmth for others, to have concern in 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.”
This
year’s Day for Life in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland focuses
on care for unborn children and their mothers, the elderly, and those
who are suicidal and their families. The proceeds of the Day for Life
collection, to be held in parishes in England and Wales on 28 July,
will assist the work of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre and other
life-related activities supported by the Church.
The
full text of the Pope's message is given below:
“Calling
to mind the teaching of Saint Irenaeus that the glory of God is seen
in a living human being, the Holy Father encourages all of you to let
the light of that glory shine so brightly that everyone may come to
recognise the inestimable value of all human life. Even the weakest
and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are
masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to
live for ever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect. His
Holiness prays that the Day for Life will help to ensure that human
life always receives the protection that is its due, so that
'everything that breathes may praise the Lord'”.
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